


The Legacy of Asgard

by Anaklusmos14



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-01
Updated: 2014-08-07
Packaged: 2017-12-22 02:17:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 164,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/907707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anaklusmos14/pseuds/Anaklusmos14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy Jackson is not a son of Poseidon. He is not even Greek. He is the last of his people left on earth as he awaits his destiny. To reach it, grudges and prejudices must be forgotten and he must find acceptance in a world in which he does not belong. His power scares even the gods. With war approaching will they accept him or will they drive him to their enemy? AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ch. 1 Prologue

The sky was dark and the overcast skies provided little light from the moon and stars as a young teen made her way through the wooded part of the Central Park. She looked around fifteen but if one were to glance into her eyes, they showed her true age, the eyes of a woman who had seen more days than a normal mortal could comprehend. Her pace was quick as she searched for any sign of her companions. They had become separated after being ambushed by a group of dark creatures and she had somehow managed to end up far away from the place of their conflict.

As she moved through the trees, little gleams of silver from her parka were all that one could make out in the dim lighting. The sound of voices in the distance quickened her speed as she burst out of the tree line and came to a quick halt.

The voices had come from a group of young males, all in their late teens or early twenties. A scowl appeared on the girl's face as she laid eyes on the males before she stepped back, trying to slip back into woods quickly.

Unfortunately the males had noticed her and were all looking at her oddly.

"You lost little girl?" One of the yelled over to her.

Her scowl deepened, "Shut up boy and mind your own business." She hissed.

The teen scowled as he stepped towards the girl before his expression darkened, "That wasn't very nice you little bitch. You should be grateful for my help. Come here, now."

The look in the girl's eyes was absolutely murderous. She knew she needed to leave but she was not one to be talked to that way and simply take it in stride.

"Oh, you'll see me again. I believe the animal population will soon increase in the park." She sneered before turning around only to find two more of the teen males behind her.

They stepped forward to grab her but she dropped into a crouch and swept one of the teen's legs out from under him before she spun and delivered a punishing knee into the groin of the second.

She turned only to have a hard fist driven into her temple sending her to the ground in a daze.

"You little bitch!" The teen who had been hit in groin yelled as he kicked her hard in the ribs.

Soon she was surrounded by a dozen of these teens but in her daze from the punch they looked like blurs.

"This one has some fight in her, I'll give her that." An older male in his early twenties and who appeared to be the leader said smirking. "Perhaps I outta break her spirit." He said gesturing to two of his goonies who stepped on her wrists, pinning her to the ground.

In her half-conscious state, the girl could hear the man unbuckling the belt on his pants before thunder boomed so loudly the entire group jumped a bit before the turned back to their captive.

"Leave now." A voice said firmly from the woods making the group turn and gaze into the trees trying to find a glimpse of the owner of the voice.

The girl's vision was slowly becoming clearer but she was still pinned down by the wrists from the two men stepping on them and couldn't see into the woods. She prayed it would be a god like Apollo who happened to come across her dire situation.

The group watched the woods before laughter broke out amongst the group as a hooded figure around five foot ten stepped out of the woods.

"Go away kid unless you want to get hurt." The leader laughed.

The figure dropped his hood to reveal raven black hair and eyes that were blue but the sclera were tinted yellow and almost seemed to glow a bit in the dark night air.

"Leave now or most of you will likely die. Last chance." The figure said calmly as he eyed the group with disgust.

The leader laughed again, "You think you can mess with MS-13 kid? I don't know if you're just crazy or have a death wish but have it your way." He said gesturing for one of the members of his posse to approach the boy.

The gang member reached the boy and made to grab him when the young teen moved with blazing speed kicking the gangster in the stomach. As he hunched, the teen grabbed his head between his inner arm and ribs before he spun his body, the sickening sound of a neck breaking rang out through the night before he dropped the dead man to the ground.

The gang seemed in shock for a minute as they looked between their dead member's body and the strange kid.

"Kill this punk!" The leader bellowed as the gang pulled out a variety of guns prepared to strike the lone figure down.

Before they could the young teen raised his hand as electricity shot from it in tendrils striking the weapons and forcing them to be dropped by the gang.

"I don't like guns. First person to touch one will die before they lift it an inch off the ground." He stated calmly but his eyes shown with anger.

"W…What are you?" One of the gang members stuttered out in fear.

In response the figure reached into his cloak and flung a small battle axe at the man where it imbedded in his forehead. The young adult was dead before he hit the ground.

The rest of the members of MS-13 looked at him in fear as lightning danced across the figure's eyes.

A very small smirk appeared on his face before a small bolt of lightning hit the ground beside him, "Run." He said in a quiet but dangerous tone.

The members of the gang glanced at him in horror before they turned and bolted away from him and the girl without a word.

The young teen walked over to the girl dressed in silver and knelt down.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly.

The girl slowly nodded, unsure of what to say after he had saved her. After a moment, she found her voice.

"Yes, uh, thank you for that. Who are you?" She asked back shocked and slightly wary of the powerful teen next to her.

The boy closed his eyes and began to chant softly in a language she had never heard before. Slowly the pain in the side of her head lessened and the throbbing in her ribs came to a halt as she stared at him in disbelief.

"My name is not important and I must leave. I have no wish to meet your mistress or any of your sisters." He said standing up.

The girl opened her mouth to speak again when she was engulfed by a silver light. The boy grunted in pain as a silver arrow imbedded in his arm. He spun around only to find fifteen silver clad teens making their way towards him being led by one with silver eyes who looked about twelve years old.

"You dare attack my huntress boy?" The silver eyed girl growled at him.

The boy pulled out the arrow and tossed it to the ground before he twisted a ring on his finger as his body glowed for a second and he was covered in strange looking armor that made the childlike goddess pause for a second.

She got over her surprise and notched an arrow and took aim at the boy's head.

"Any last words?"

The boy paused for a second before the sound of horses behind him drew the attention of the goddess and her hunters. Three women dressed in armor with winged helmets seemingly appeared out of nowhere and stopped by the boy's side.

"If you dare harm that child I shall make sure none of your hunters are spared goddess." One of the woman spat, her eyes full of rage.

Artemis gasped, "Valkyries," she said in disbelief.

Another one of the Valkyries stood on her steed in front of the boy but her eyes were filled with worry more than anger.

"Stop goddess. You are making a mistake."

Artemis narrowed her eyes, "He attacked my huntress and for that he shall die."

"She will not listen to reason Eir. She is as arrogant as her family. Let her try and we shall strike her maidens down." The first Valkyrie said with venom.

Eir shook her head, "Let her ask her hunter. There is no reason for this to escalate." She said looking at the goddess expectantly.

Artemis remained glaring despite still being in shock that at the sight of the Norse maidens, a sight she thought she would never see.

She turned back to her hunters and laid eyes on the hunter mentioned.

"Zoë, did this boy not attack you?"

The hunter shook her head making the goddess' eyes widen before gesturing for more explanation.

Zoë nodded, "I got lost when I ran into a gang of mortals. I had no weapon to hurt them and they overwhelmed me before I could retreat." Zoë explained before she scowled, "They were going to rape me had he not helped." She said gesturing to the two dead bodies.

Artemis looked shocked before she turned back to the Valkyries who were all now glaring at her.

"How are you here? Your pantheon faded long ago. What business do you have around this boy anyway?"

The first Valkyrie was about to speak when the third cut her off, "It is time Brynhildr. We will tell her and she can decide what she does next." She said before stepping off her steed and standing beside the boy. "I am Sigrún and this is Perseus. He is the final child of the Aesir, the son of Thor before he left Midgard and access between the realms was lost. The All-Father charged us with his protection after the death of his mortal mother as he has a great destiny to fulfill here on Midgard."

Artemis and the hunters all stared at the boy and immortal maidens in shock before Artemis notched another arrow.

"He will come to Olympus to see my father. He is too powerful to roam freely."

The first Valkyrie whispered something to Perseus who nodded as he held up his hand making Artemis confused.

Suddenly the sounds of trees and branches crashing drew the goddess' aim to the woods before she noticed a blur flying straight towards the boy. When her eyes landed back on him they went wide in disbelief.

"Impossible," she said stunned. "No demigod can wield a god's symbol of power." She said looking at the huge hammer in the demigod's hands.

Brynhildr laughed, "He is no normal demigod goddess. Leave now before he shows you the true power he wields."

Artemis growled, "No demigod can defeat me."

Brynhildr nodded to Perseus whose eyes danced with lightning.

"Do not doubt the son of Thor, chosen and blessed of the All-Father or your arrogance shall be the end of your handmaidens." Eir warned.

Artemis took aim at Perseus when thunder boomed louder than her father's overhead. Perseus raised the massive hammer to the sky before he pointed at the goddess as the biggest bolt of lightning she had seen in her immortal life came down and hit the ground five feet in front of her. The sheer size and power of the bolt blasted Artemis and her hunters off their feet.

Brynhildr laughed loudly, "Remember this day goddess. A day will come when you and your family will beg for his help and after today and your arrogance, your chances of getting it are lessened. The Norse make you Olympians look like children in power and this is the most powerful Norse demigod to ever live. Be thankful his father cannot get to Midgard or he would strike you down for this injustice himself."

Eir shook her head at the goddess before a portal opened behind the three Valkyries and Perseus as they stepped through, leaving a bunch of immortal teens and their mistress unsure of exactly what had just happened.


	2. A Quick Trip West

Ch. 2 (One Year Later)

Perseus made his way through the Oakland Hills, looking to find this second camp Eir had mentioned to him. His adoptive mothers insisted he get a look at the other demigod camp in America. He had already scouted out Camp Half-Blood in New York but this camp's defenses were proving far superior and more difficult to get through than their Greek counterparts.

He assumed defenses were at their peak for the moment, considering the Titans were beginning to gather their forces before the war broke out.

If only they knew what was really to come.

As he skirted around the area, he could feel the magical borders of the camp shielding the view of the camp from his sight. He was about to give up when he saw two people in Roman style armor outside the borders of the camp. They were taking off towards the woods and away from camp and the city. He quickened his pace as he began to trail the duo, wondering if perhaps he could find a way to get a look at the camp through them.

He kept a distance between himself and the duo as he followed them; they walked for a good hour making him wonder where exactly it was they were heading.

Perseus' eyes widened when he saw both demigods pulled out weapons and go back to back. He crept closer until he noticed a ragged looking man surrounded by a pack of large wolves. He seemed to be mocking the demigods who both looked pale.

Perseus shook his head; so much for staying inconspicuous.

The child of Asgard held up his hand as his massive hammer, the mighty weapon of the father he had never known, materialized in his hand; lightning flashed across his eyes as he felt the familiar power of Mjolnir in his hand. The weapon literally pulsed with a hidden power he could feel as he held it, a feeling he relished in. A mini bolt of lightning hit Perseus, covering his body in armor.

He looked back up to see one of the wolves skulking towards the demigods before he hurled the weapon towards the standoff. It flew with speed and crushed the tree next the wolves and sent it crashing causing the group of wolves to scatter to avoid it.

Mjolnir flew back into his hand as he continued walking towards the group as the wolves gathered around their leader who remained in his human form. He knew this must be Lycaon, King of the Werewolves. His adoptive mothers had forced him to learn all about the Greek and Roman mythologies so he knew what it was he would find in the world today. They warned him that the werewolf and his pack were known to frequent the area around the Roman demigod camp.

He stopped a few feet away from the demigods as his eyes stayed glued on the pack of werewolves.

"Be gone from this place beast! Your meal has been cancelled." Perseus growled.

Lycaon looked at him in confusion before he barred his fangs in a malicious grin.

"No, it appears it has just gotten larger. Come forth little demigod, if you dare."

Perseus raised Mjolnir to the sky as thunder boomed overhead. One of the demigods gasped but was ignored by Perseus as a bolt came down on one of the wolves as it stalked towards him. The beast was blasted to pieces before Perseus slid a bracelet off his wrist and a pure silver sword materialized in his hand, making the wolves halt for a second.

Perseus smirked, "Do the mutts not like my sword? I brought it just to show you in case we crossed paths."

"Who are you?" Lycaon roared.

Perseus narrowed his eyes, "I am the last child of Asgard, and I believe my patience with you and your monsters is running thin."

"Impossible," Lycaon growled. "No child like that has existed in millennia."

Perseus rolled his eyes, "Ugly and idiotic… Guess you got the shit end of the gene pool."

Lycaon's eyes widened before he stepped back, "Attack!" He yelled at his pack who stalked forward.

Perseus' blade crackled with electricity as he raised it in front of him, his eyes glazing over with the thought of the battle to come, a chance to honor Asgard - here in the realm of Midgard, a place they were all but forgotten.

The two Roman demigods came out of their shock and pulled out their own weapons. The girl held two silver hunting knives while the boy had an imperial gold gladius that was useless at the moment.

One of the wolves lunged at the girl but Perseus was fast, kicking the beast out of the air and sent it rolling to the ground before he spun and got knocked onto his back by another wolf. Before it could bite, a silver hunting knife was driven through its skull leaving a pile of golden dust on his chest.

He jumped to his feet as a small lightning bolt knocked another of the wolves to the ground. Perseus glanced back at the boy whose hand was still raised.

A son of Jupiter, terrific, he thought to himself.

He jumped forward and met a wolf attempting to lunge at him before he ducked, his sword running over the exposed monster's stomach as it dissolved in midair. The female demigod was holding on her own with her knives while the male continued trying to use lightning.

Perseus spun away from another wolf, tripping it as he did before pinning it down with a boot to the back before he drove his sword through its back.

He jumped back as his sword vanished and was replaced by his mighty hammer.

"You want lightning son of Jupiter? Then I shall show you the power of the thunderer in all of her glory." He said, raising Mjolnir before a huge bolt came down as blasted a trio of wolves back.

Lycaon watched his pack slowly diminish under the demigod's attack.

"Retreat!" He growled before locking eyes with Perseus. "You shall pay for this child of Asgard. You are alone in this world and I shall make sure your existence is a quick one."

Perseus hurled Mjolnir at the Werewolf King, blasting the tree next to him to pieces, making Lycaon yelp before he took off in retreat with his pack on his heels.

Before Perseus could turn around, he felt a sword pressed against his back.

"Who are you?" The male demigod questioned warily.

"Remove your sword unless you wish to truly fight me, son of Jupiter." Perseus said calmly before waiting. After a few seconds, the blade was removed. He turned around and came face to face with a confused boy around his age, fourteen. He had blonde hair and electric blue eyes.

Then his gaze shifted to the girl and he paused for a second. She was gorgeous. Tall with dark hair and dark, almost black eyes as she eyed him, trying to determine as much about him as she could. She was around his age as well and Perseus couldn't help but hope to get to know this demigod a little better.

"I am Perseus." He said simply. "What is your name, son of Jupiter? And that of the lady?"

The demigod looked at him oddly but answered anyway, "I am Jason Grace and this is my friend Reyna, daughter of Bellona."

Perseus nodded but did not reply as he kept his eyes on Reyna who was staring right back at him, something Jason was not thrilled about.

"Are you a son of Jupiter as well?" Jason asked slightly hopeful he had found a brother.

Perseus smiled wryly.

"No, I am not. I am Perseus, son of Thor, Norse God of Thunder, Lightning, the Sky and Law."

Jason and Reyna's eyes widened and their jaws dropped.

"The Norse gods are still around?" Reyna asked in disbelief.

Perseus frowned a bit, "No. They are in Asgard without access back into this realm. I am the only one of my kind in existence."

Reyna nodded, "You are alone?"

"I have a few that watch over me at the request of my grandfather but yes, I am alone." He replied quickly.

"And the gods know about you?" Jason asked.

Perseus narrowed his eyes, "No, they do not yet. What you do with this information is your choice but know that I have no love for your gods and I am here because you will all need me in the future. Dealing with your father or the other gods anytime soon does not make me want to help you or this world in which I no longer belong."

"Wait, what do you mean we'll need you? What are you talking about?" Jason asked quickly.

"Will we ever see you again?" Reyna asked.

Perseus smiled a bit. "Yes you will. I would not deprive myself of a chance to see such a beautiful woman again, daughter of Bellona."

Reyna's face turned an amusing shade of red as she blushed while Jason's turned red with fury.

Before either could respond, Perseus looked at Reyna and winked before a huge bolt of lightning came from the sky and hit Perseus causing both Roman demigods to look away from the blinding light. When the light vanished, Perseus was no longer there.

Jason turned to Reyna whose blush was slowly fading. "We need to tell Lupa and the Senate about this."

Reyna's eyes narrowed, "Why would we do that? He saved our lives and said if we told anyone that he met him, he would leave us helpless when we needed him. We will not be telling anyone about this." She said firmly.

"Why? Because he flirted with you? He could be a threat that gets us killed!" Jason growled.

Reyna's eyes flashed with anger. "I am your superior officer legionaire and this is an order. If he was a threat then why would he have saved us and then walked away without asking us for anything? He knows nothing about us, yet he saved us for no other reason than that he wanted to. We shall keep this to ourselves as repayment of that debt. Stop allowing your jealously to guide your decisions; you are a Roman, and a Roman honors his debts."

Jason narrowed his eyes but wisely did not argue.

"Fine. But I don't like him."

Reyna smirked a bit triumphantly. "That is your decision Grace, but remember my orders. I have a feeling he was not lying about us needing him one day and I have no wish to blow it for New Rome before we even have a chance to ask for his aide."

Line Break (Six Months Later)

Perseus raised his battle axe and blocked a sword strike before he spun and ducked under a spear. He slid on his knees a few feet to his left and delivered a hard fist to the ribs of one of his attackers who was sent reeling as he raised his axe behind his head to block another attack.

His block worked but he was rewarded with a hard foot to the back, sending him to his stomach.

"Stop holding back! Use your powers Perseus! We are immortal damn it!" His adoptive mother, Brynhildr, growled at him.

Perseus jumped to his feet as Mjolnir appeared in his hand. Sigrún stalked towards him with her sword out but her ribs were clearly still hurting as she seemed to favor them a bit.

Brynhildr lunged at him, when the winds sent her stumbling back a few feet. Perseus shot into the air as a bolt of lightning slammed into the Valkyrie and sent Brynhildr to the ground in a heap.

Perseus dropped to the ground again to check on her only to have the flat of a blade cracked upside his head, sending him to the ground as well.

Sigrún kicked him in the ribs and knocked him onto his back where she put the tip of her blade to his throat.

"What did we tell you about mercy? When we spar, we are your enemies. Show them mercy and they will run you through without a second thought. If you think she will show you any mercy, then you are truly a fool son of Thor."

Perseus smacked the blade away from his throat and stood up. He felt ashamed that he had failed to learn the lessons they were trying to teach him yet again.

Eir went over to Brynhildr and muttered a few words before the injured Valkyrie began to glow. When the light died, she stood up completely unharmed.

She looked over at Perseus with a small smile. "Better Perseus, but you need to learn the difference between how you act in battle and how you act outside of it."

Perseus nodded and put his head down.

The three Valkyries smiled at him even if he couldn't see it.

"Time for rest Perseus; you have a message waiting for you." Brynhildr said making him look up and raise an eyebrow.

"You will see." She replied casually.

Perseus nodded and turned to leave when the butt of a spear was slammed into the back of his head sending him to the ground unconscious.

The two other Valkyries looked at Brynhildr confused.

"What?" She said innocently. "He would take forever to fall asleep knowing he was going to be visited by the All-Father tonight."

Eir glared at her, "He didn't know that."

Brynhildr smirked, "True, but that lightning hurt like Hell! I needed a little vengeance."

Eir rolled her eyes in annoyance while Sigrún snickered a bit at her reasoning.


	3. The Words of the All-Father

As the darkness consumed Perseus' consciousness he found himself in a grand hall. His head pounded as he remembered the cheap shot Brynhildr had given him when he turned around.

"I'll make sure she gets what she wants next time," he grumbled to himself. "She wants no mercy, she'll get it."

As he put a hand to his head, he heard a booming laugh around him making his eyes shoot open and quickly made him forget his whining. He looked up again at the grand hall he was in when he saw an older man sitting in a large throne.

Perseus paled slightly as he gazed upon the man, his mind making the connection quickly when he saw the older man in battle armor and a winged helmet. His lone eye informing Perseus of exactly whose presence he was in at the moment.

He composed himself and stood straight before walking over to the throne and bowing, trying act exactly as his mothers had advised him when in the presence of the All-Father.

Odin was silent for a minute while Perseus kept his eyes glued to the floor. The father of the gods watched his grandson carefully trying to size him up for the first time since the boy was a mere infant. He couldn't help but smile at the boy. He was only fourteen yet was well-muscled and already carried himself like a man. He looked like his father with the exception of the midnight black hair, a trait he received from the mortal mother who bore him.

"Rise my grandson." Odin said in a deep voice.

Perseus stood from his bow and slowly looked up and met the eye of his grandfather, waiting for him to speak. Perseus looked around the room only to find it empty, much to his dismay. He had hoped his father would have wanted to see him but apparently not.

Odin noticed the boy's wandering eyes and knew what he was thinking.

"Only by my command is your father not here. It is not time for you to meet him. You have a very long journey ahead of you last child of Asgard and before the end, you will know your father well."

Perseus was a bit disappointed but did not show it as he nodded to his grandfather.

"Do you know why it is your father gave you his most prized possession? The weapon he was not supposed to part with until his death in the Ragnarök." Odin asked.

Perseus raised an eyebrow but shook his head.

Odin smiled, "Because he wanted to my boy. Of all his children, you are his most favored, mortal and immortal alike. He knew the path you must travel and wanted you to have all the help you could. Despite the wishes and orders of the other gods, including myself, he left you Mjolnir before access between the realms was lost, the weapon becoming yours when he did it."

Perseus' eyes widened but he wasn't sure how to respond. He always thought his father was supposed to leave Mjolnir for him and now he wasn't sure what he should say.

Odin's smile grew a bit, "I must agree with his decision now. He has found a worthy heir to wield such a powerful weapon. I have watched you since your birth and seen your every accomplishment and failure. You are truly worthy to be the final child of Asgard and the one who shall make sure our name carries on through the millennia even if access to Midgard is never found again."

Perseus smiled slightly but kept his face as emotionless as he could.

"My lord, why is it that I am here?"

Odin nodded, "Yes, I was wondering when you were going to ask that. First off, you will call me Grandfather, not lord. And the reason I have summoned you is because it is time child."

Perseus was shocked but waited for the All-Father to continue.

"On Midgard, things have been put in motion that cannot be undone. The Greeks believe they know what is to come but they have no idea. They are blind to the whispering in the ears of their enemies. Soon, the threat will grow tenfold and they shall be crushed before they fully realize what is happening." Odin explained carefully.

Perseus nodded but was a bit confused as well, "Grandfather, why is it that we care? They are Greeks and their problems are their own. Why was I given the responsibility to help them? They are arrogant and not nearly as powerful as they believe themselves to be. Why would we help them when it is their own arrogance that shall be their downfall?"

Odin's expression turned into a slight frown before it quickly shifted to a serious one.

"You have been tasked to help them because you can. And because they need you. You know who will join their enemies and their only chance will ride with you. I have seen what is to come and the difficult challenges you must face but you are not helping the Greeks to help the gods. You are helping the Greeks to protect the mortals and the demigods who will not be able to defend themselves. Your father is god of justice and without him on Midgard, the responsibility falls to you to protect those who cannot protect themselves. You have been given this task because it is the right thing to do. Because it is the duty of the son and heir of Thor."

Perseus listened carefully before nodding his head, "I will do as you wish grandfather."

Odin smiled as he raised a hand. A blue blast of energy erupted from it and slammed into Perseus' chest, knocking him onto his back. He climbed back to his feet slowly as looked at Odin confused.

Odin smirked a bit, "A gift to help guide you along your path. A little sight can go a long way, my grandson."

Perseus' eyes widened before images began to flash through his mind. He put his hands on his head as the images raced through his mind. When the assault finally faded he looked up again.

Odin cut him off, "You know what you must do. The visions will come when you need them. You know what you must do. This will be your final act before the rest of the Greeks learn of your existence. You will know what to do when the time comes."

Before Perseus could respond, Odin flicked his finger as Perseus' form began to flicker. He looked back up his Grandfather one last time to find him smiling again.

"Make us proud Grandson. You are the legacy of Asgard. Remind the world what it lost when it lost the Norse gods."

Perseus awoke in his bed, this three adoptive mothers all sitting in different chairs around his room. Eir and Brynhildr had fallen asleep while Sigrún was awake, yet not looking at him.

He only opened one eye before he slowly raised a hand. Sigrún noticed the movement but not before a small stream of electricity shot from his hand and hit Brynhildr, making her hair rise as she shot up too quickly, losing her balance as her chair tipped over and she crashed onto her back.

The commotion had woken Eir from her slumber while Sigrún roared with laughter.

Brynhildr shot to her feet, the look in her eyes was absolutely murderous.

"I'm so sorry milady, I was trying to follow your lessons about no mercy. I guess the blow to my head left me confused. I thought we were still sparing." Perseus said innocently.

Brynhildr's eyes widened as she stepped forward before stopping and smirking a bit, "Alright, I suppose I had that coming. You just wait until next spar Perseus. I shall show you the true meaning of regret."

Perseus smiled, "I am looking forward to it." He said before becoming serious, "I must leave. I have a mission given by the All-Father and it requires my immediate attention."

The three Valkyries became serious and nodded. Perseus explained the conversation he and Odin had and where it was he was going. When he finished, the three immortal women looked at him proudly but a bit of uneasiness was visible in their faces as well.

"We will be watching you Perseus, through it all. We will come to you if you need us." Brynhildr explained seriously while the other two nodded their heads in agreement.

Perseus smiled at them as Mjolnir appeared in his hand. A portal opened in front of the wall of the room as Perseus stood. He chanted something quietly in the language of the Norse as his armor appeared on his body. He took a step towards the portal but stopped.

"Just in case, you three are the mothers I never had." Perseus said quietly before he took two steps forward and jumped into the portal.

The three immortals watched the portal vanish with him, small smiles on their faces at his words before their expressions turned concerned and Eir waved her hand, an image appearing in front of them as they watched the boy they raised since he was an infant come out of the portal and make his way towards the beginning of his destiny.

Line Break

A demigod and two huntresses were locked in battle they had little hopes of winning. The two huntresses were trying to battle a Titan while a daughter of Zeus battled another demigod and a blonde haired girl was bound next to them. The goddess Artemis struggled under the weight of the sky as she watched her hunters and half-sister helplessly.

Luke and Thalia went back and forth while Thalia slowly pushed him back, her skills just a bit superior to his as she forced him back towards the cliff.

Phoebe tried to stand toe to toe with the Titan Atlas while Zoë stood on a ledge a few feet back firing arrows as fast as she could at her father as he pushed her sister back while she struggled to keep up. Phoebe jumped aside from a javelin thrust and tried to go on the offensive but Atlas was too quick as his foot came up and hit her into the chest, knocking her onto her back. He raised his javelin to finish her.

Zoë jumped down from her ledge to stand between the two when she was knocked out of the midair and sent crashing to the ground. A massive hammer was swung with a mighty uppercut that caught the Titan into the stomach and sent his flying back.

Perseus stood in front of Phoebe whose eyes were wide. Zoë stood up enraged but froze when she saw a familiar figure standing in front of her sister.

Perseus glanced over at her and smirked, "You seem to have a particular knack for trouble, don't you huntress?"

Zoë glared at him as she glanced at her father who was still on the ground regaining his bearings.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice without the usual harshness that came when speaking to males.

Perseus smiled, "Saving your life of course. That was the moment in which you received a fatal strike. You would have died. I thought I might lend a hand, maybe save your life."

Zoë's jaw dropped, "How do you know that?"

Perseus watched the Titan climb to his feet and shook his head, "I will explain later. Right now, you and your fellow huntress need to find a way to free your mistress. I cannot defeat this Titan alone."

Zoë paled as her father stalked towards Perseus. She ran to Phoebe and pulled the still stunned huntress to her feet.

Atlas stopped a few feet away from Perseus, "Who are you?" He growled.

Perseus smirked a bit but in response he only raised Mjolnir as lightning danced across his eyes, "I do not answer to Titans. You want a fight, come get it. I shall show you the true power of a thunder god."

Atlas roared and charged, thrusting and stabbing as Perseus ducked, dodged and weaved away from the Titan's attacks. He waited as Atlas' rage grew until he overextended on an attack as Perseus spun away and dropped down low, swinging Mjolnir at the back of his knee and knocking Atlas onto his back.

Perseus raised Mjolnir up before slamming to down only to have Atlas roll to the side as Mjolnir hit the floor, cracking the marble under the power of the strike.

Perseus turned as the butt of Atlas' javelin caught him in the nose, breaking it as blood began to pour freely. He stumbled back and barely sidestepped to avoid being impaled.

Atlas swung his javelin at Perseus only to have the strike blocked by two hunting knives as the goddess Artemis stood in front of Perseus.

"No you shall pay for putting me under the sky." She growled before kicking Atlas back before she attacked in a flurry of strikes. The two went back and forth for a minute as Perseus waited for his chance to jump in.

Artemis kicked the Titan back as he stumbled towards Perseus. Perseus glanced at the two girls holding the sky and grinned.

He stepped aside letting Atlas stumble a bit past him as got ready, Mjolnir crackled with electricity before it was swung with tremendous power, catching the Titan in the chest and sending him flying back towards the two girls.

Atlas crashed into the girls, knocking them out from under the burden as the sky crashed down onto his back.

Perseus turned towards Artemis before looking past her where his eyes widened.

Thalia had Luke backed up to the edge of the cliff with her spear at his throat.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you?" She growled as a few tears fell from her eyes.

Luke was pale, "Thalia…. Please."

Annabeth, who was now free, looked at Thalia pleadingly.

"We'll take him back to camp Thals. We can fix this."

Thalia paused for a second as she looked at Luke. Her eyes moved to Annabeth, giving Luke the chance he needed. He smacked the spear away from his throat and thrust his sword at Thalia. The sword broke the skin on her stomach before it stopped moving forward. A massive hammer flew through the air, catching Luke in the chest and sending him flying backwards off the edge of the cliff.

Thalia dropped to the ground in pain while Annabeth cried out for Luke.

Perseus held up his hand as Mjolnir flew back into his hand. Annabeth turned to him with murder in her eyes.

"You killed him! You bastard!"

Perseus remained calm as the daughter of Athena walked towards him.

"Perhaps but I saved the other one. We all make choices and we must live with those choices. He chose his side and I have chosen mine. I decided the girl's life was more valuable than his. Perhaps you disagree but I could really care less."

Annabeth's eyes widened as she pulled out a dagger and sprinted at him. Before she could reach him, Artemis stepped forward and smacked the dagger out of her hand.

"I understand your pain young one but this boy is correct. He just saved Thalia's life. Perhaps you should thank him or maybe have a little more concern for your bleeding friend over there."

Annabeth froze as she turned back to Thalia who was climbing to her feet, the front of her shirt stained with blood. The cut was deep but not at all fatal.

Annabeth ran towards her but Thalia ignored her and walked towards Perseus.

"Thank you. You saved my life back there."

Perseus nodded and held his hand in front of Thalia's stomach as he chanted something too quietly for her to hear. The wound glowed a bit before it closed itself up. Thalia's jaw dropped as she felt her healed wound. Before she could thank him, he turned to Artemis who was watching him closely.

"Why are you here?" Artemis asked stoically.

"Your huntress was going to die. She will be needed in the times to come. I am also still here because you did not mention me to the other gods when we met before. I thought you deserved to be the one who brought me to Olympus. It is time for the other gods to learn of my existence." Perseus replied back calmly.

Artemis' eyes widened before she nodded. She snapped her fingers as everyone in the group vanished and reappeared outside the Garden of the Hesperides. Everyone except Perseus that is.

Artemis looked around before she scowled thinking the boy had lied to her. Before she could curse, a bolt of lightning hit the ground beside her as Perseus appeared.

"Greek gods can only teleport me if I allow it. I prefer to travel on my own accord." He said before she could ask.

Artemis looked at him warily, "Are you going to let me bring you to Olympus?"

Perseus nodded, "I would prefer not to teleport though. It is unsettling for me."

Artemis raised an eyebrow before nodding. She pulled out a hunting horn and blew on it. A minute later, her chariot being pulled by two stags descended from the sky.

"We will travel by chariot. You did not run and you saved my huntress again so I will honor your request."

Perseus nodded as the chariot landed beside them. He glanced over at the group of demigods and hunters. Annabeth still looked furious while Phoebe just looked confused more than anything. Zoë and Thalia looked grateful he saved their lives. He gave them a nod before hopping inside the chariot.

Artemis looked at the group, "I must make haste to the Winter Solstice meeting. I will send other transport for you as quickly as I can. You must come to Olympus as quickly as possible."

The girls all nodded as Perseus and Artemis shot into the sky on their way to Olympus for Perseus' first meeting with the council of the Olympian Gods.


	4. Meet the Greeks

Ch. 4

As Perseus rode through the sky in the moon chariot, he couldn't help but chuckle as he thought he must have been the first male to ever set foot inside this thing.

Artemis was watching the boy closely. She couldn't deny that she was curious about him and his apparent lack of fear at the situation he was about to walk into.

"Why are you not afraid?"

Perseus looked back over at her and shrugged, "What difference does it make if I am afraid or not. This day was destined to happen regardless and I will not do so like a coward."

Artemis nodded to his reasoning as she looked at him closely again. Despite how much she hated doing it, she did not think herself above mortals as much as her family.

"I owe you an apology for our first encounter. You protected my huntress when you could have simply walked away and I assumed you were the one who attacked her. I am sorry for that."

Perseus raised an eyebrow but shook it off and nodded, "Apology accepted. It probably did not look good when you came upon us."

The goddess smiled a bit that he did not hold it against her. She decided to ask some questions that had been bugging her since their first encounter as well as some fresh ones from the night's events.

"How is it that you are here? Didn't the Norse gods fade long ago?"

Perseus shook his head, "No they did not fade. In my world, there are nine realms and this is simply one of them. Access to Midgard, or earth, was lost long ago. My father found a way back but it was only temporary. He met my mother and spent a few years with her but was forced by the All-Father to return to Asgard before access was lost and he was stuck here. He wanted to take me with him but Odin told him I have destiny to fulfill here on Midgard. Despite the protests of the other gods, he left me Mjolnir to help me in my life."

Artemis was shocked but his words. Her family never cared for their children the way it sounded like Thor cared for his son.

"And the Valkyries?" She asked.

Perseus smiled a bit, "A gift from the All-Father. My mother died shortly after my birth and they raised me. They have cared for and loved me my whole life as well as trained me since the time I could walk. Odin asked for three volunteers to remain on Midgard as my guardians and those three offered immediately."

Artemis nodded, "And why were you in the park that night when you saved Zoë?

"I was training. I was looking for any surviving monsters from your battle earlier. I just happened to come across those men when they had her captured. When I saw what they were about to do, I had to intervene. I was raised by maidens so I was raised to treat women with respect. They are lucky I was trying to remain anonymous at that point." He replied.

Artemis gave him a small smile, "Thank you. She is my closest friend."

Perseus gave her a nod back but didn't reply. He knew she had more questions.

"And tonight? How did you end up on Othrys and save Zoë again?"

"Earlier I had a conversation in my dreams with the All-Father. He said my time to be revealed to the Greeks had come and gave me the gift of sight. I can see the future and the visions are much clearer than your brother's oracle. I saw the battle and Zoë falling. She was going to die and you were going to put her in the stars to honor her sacrifice. What the oracle does not see is the whole picture. The threat you face is much worse than you know. An old enemy is whispering in the ear of the Titans. Zoë is a skilled huntress and will be needed in the war to come. I saved her because I could." Perseus explained seriously.

He glanced over at the goddess to see a lone tear falling down her face. His eyes widened but he wasn't sure what to do so he just remained silent.

Artemis wiped away her tear and looked at the Norse demigod gratefully, "Thank you."

Perseus nodded and looked up as he saw the lights of New York coming into view in front of them.

"What is this threat you speak of?" Artemis asked as they approached the city and gained altitude, heading up into the clouds.

Perseus shook his head, "I cannot say. Names have power and I will not speak her name until the threat is realized. My people are doing what they can to slow her but she is the only one who still has access to Midgard. Should she come, then we will be fighting for the survival of this world. She will unleash the equivalent of your Tartarus onto this world. And both Greek and Roman demigods will not be enough to stop her."

Artemis paled a bit as they came up onto the eternal city of the gods. Perseus couldn't deny the city was beautiful but he still felt wrong being here. He should be with his people, not these Greeks. The goddess stopped her chariot in a courtyard outside what Perseus guessed was the throne room of the Olympians.

They both exited the chariot as Perseus looked to the goddess to lead the way. She led them to the throne room doors but paused.

"It would be best if you acted respectful. My father is quite… well arrogant to tell you the truth. He may see you as a threat and may try to kill you." Artemis warned.

Perseus already knew this but smiled at the warning, "Thank you Lady Artemis. I appreciate the heads up."

The goddess nodded and pushed open the throne room doors. The council was already in session but all discussion stopped when their eyes landed on Artemis and her male companion. He followed Artemis before stopping in the middle of the throne room. Each and every Olympian looked at him confused while Artemis made her way to her throne. Once she was seated, Zeus looked at her confused.

"Daughter, who is this boy and why does he not bow before us?"

Artemis glanced at Perseus who looked like he had no intention of bowing before Zeus or the rest of the council.

"His name is Perseus. He saved the lives of both my lieutenant and Thalia on Mount Othrys tonight. He is also the reason I am here right now. Without him, I would still be stuck under the sky. I will allow him to tell his story though, I just ask that you hear him out father." Artemis explained.

Zeus turned back to the demigod with a slightly less angry expression.

"Tell us your story boy. Who is your godly parent?"

Perseus nodded, "I am not a Greek."

The Olympians minus Artemis all looked shocked by this. A few shimmered into their Roman aspects and tried to get a look at the boy, wondering if he was one of theirs. Perseus continued before anyone could ask.

"My name is Perseus, son a mortal named Sally Jackson and the Norse God of Thunder, Thor."

The room was silent. Every single god and goddess looked at him in shock. Their looks of shock soon shifted into looks of disbelief before they all began speaking at once.

Zeus slammed his master bolt down, silencing the room before he looked back at Perseus with suspicion.

"That is not possible. The Norse gods faded long ago. You dare lie to us boy?"

Perseus remained calm before a holographic hammer that looked just like Mjolnir appeared over his head making Zeus' eyes go wide.

"Why are you here then?" Zeus growled now trying to size the boy up to see what kind of threat he could be.

Perseus glanced at Artemis, "I came to help Artemis' hunters and the other demigods in their battle against the Titan. Artemis demanded that I come to Olympus and who am I to argue with the word of a goddess?"

The goddess of the moon's eyes widened a bit. She didn't expect him to lie for her but was grateful she didn't have to explain anything further.

"Why did you help them? And how did you know they were there?" Athena asked a bit suspiciously.

Perseus grinned, "A gift from my grandfather. His visions are much clearer than Apollo's and I saw Artemis' huntress dying. I intervened and now she is alive."

Apollo looked mildly offended but kept his mouth shut, instead just watching the unknown demigod to see what else he had to say.

"How is it that you're even alive? The Norse gods are gone!" Zeus demanded.

Perseus shook his head, "No they are not. They simply lost access to Midgard, or Earth, and now reside in the realm of Asgard. I am alone on this planet. My father found a way back but it was only temporary. He was forced to leave me here."

Zeus looked a bit relieved the Norse gods could not come back to Earth but was still unsure if Perseus spoke the truth.

"How do we know you tell the truth? Any half-bit minor god could have conjured up that emblem to make us think you were claimed."

Perseus smirked and held up out his hand as Mjolnir appeared in his hand making most of the room gasp.

"Since he was forced to leave me on Midgard, my father gave me his most prized weapon, Mjolnir, the most powerful weapon in this room." He said with a hint of smugness in his voice.

The Olympians were speechless. Silence enveloped the room for a moment before Zeus stood up with his master bolt in hand.

"No demigod can wield the weapon of a god. Turn over that weapon boy or feel my wrath!" He bellowed.

Perseus raised an eyebrow before he shrugged. He tossed Mjolnir on the ground a few feet in front of him.

"You want it, here you go."

Zeus' eyes widened before a hungry look appeared in his eyes. He stood from his throne smiling smugly and walked over to the weapon. He reached down to pick it up but as he tried to lift it, it slipped from his grasp. He reached down and grasped the weapon more tightly and lifted.

He couldn't move the weapon and inch.

He tried using both hands and lifting with all his strength. His face turned red with effort but the weapon didn't budge an inch. After a full minute, the King of the Gods turned to Perseus enraged.

"What is this trickery!" He snarled.

Perseus forced himself not to smirk.

"No trickery Zeus. I swear it on the Styx." He said as thunder boomed overhead and Poseidon and Hades, who was there for the Winter Solstice meeting, began laughing at their brother's failure.

"Then why can't I pick it up?" Zeus bellowed.

Perseus shrugged and looked around the room. He saw a small childlike goddess, she looked close to his age, maybe a little younger, passing out cups of nectar to the gods.

"Excuse me my lady, Hebe, is it?" He asked.

Hebe looked shocked he spoke to her. She slowly nodded her head. He smiled at her.

"Please do a demigod one favor my lady. Could you go try and pick up my hammer? Your father is having trouble with it." Perseus asked kindly.

Zeus' faced turned red with anger and embarassment while Hebe looked unsure of what to do. She looked at her mother who glanced at Perseus and then nodded for her to try.

Hebe slowly made her way up to the massive hammer, unsure of how exactly she was supposed to pick up a weapon that her father could not pick up. When she stopped in front of it, she looked at her father nervously. He nodded for her to try, curious as to why the Norse spawn asked her to do it.

Hebe reached down and grabbed the weapon. She pulled up and was shocked to find it was surprisingly light. She picked the weapon up as thunder boomed overhead. A few gods jumped while Perseus smirked a bit.

"Give it to me girl." Zeus demanded.

Hebe handed the weapon to her father but the minute it left her hand, it fell from Zeus' grasp slamming into the ground and cracking the marble.

Zeus growled to himself and reached down to pick it up again when it suddenly flew back into Perseus' hand and vanished from sight.

"What was that?" Poseidon asked before Zeus could start to rant.

Perseus smiled, "The weapon was given to me as my inheritance. It is mine and no one else's'."

Poseidon raised an eyebrow, "Then why could Hebe pick it up?"

Persues' smile grew, "Because it recognizes those who would try to steal it and those pure of heart. It knew Hebe had no intention of using it for herself so it allowed her to pick it up. She could have wielded it as well until I summoned it back to me. Zeus wants to for himself so no matter what he will never be able to pick it up."

Poseidon nodded in understanding while Zeus' anger continued to grow.

"Enough. You are too much of a threat with such a powerful weapon. If we can't take it from you, then I shall kill you. Norse do not belong in this world anymore anyway." Zeus bellowed as he raised his master bolt.

A few gods looked upset by this but none spoke up. Artemis seemed most upset by this but even she didn't speak up against her father.

"Any last words boy?" Zeus spat.

Perseus nodded with a smirk, "Yeah, bring on the lightning."

Zeus' eyes narrowed before he hurled his master bolt at Perseus. The bolt struck him in the chest but to everyone's utter shock, he wasn't blasted back. Instead, he stumbled back a step and then his eyes snapped open, they literally pulsed with electricity.

The Olympians were all dumbfounded before Perseus started to laugh.

"You arrogant fool. You think you can hurt a son of lightning with lightning? That was simply an energy boost. If you had half a brain, you would have sent Poseidon or Hades after me."

Zeus looked at Perseus in shock before he turned to Poseidon, "Kill this boy."

Before Poseidon could respond either way, Athena stood up.

"Wait. This demigod is here for a reason. I doubt he let himself be captured just to point out his immunity to lightning. Let us first figure out why he is here."

The rest of the Olympians murmured their agreement before Zeus could speak up again. He grudgingly nodded as he sat back down in his throne eyeing Perseus warily.

Perseus nodded his thanks to Athena, "I am here to warn you of a threat. A new enemy has been whispering in the ear of the Titans. There is a goddess from my pantheon, the only one with access to Midgard who will soon return to this world. If I had to guess, she will join the Titans for this war. Should you lose, she will destroy the Titans and take control of Midgard for herself. My father was forced to leave me here because the All-Father Lord Odin had seen this event in his visions. He said I had a great destiny to fulfill here on Earth and it has to do with this new threat. I am here because I wish to join you in the upcoming war."

The council looked nervous at the mention of a new threat.

"Who is this new enemy?" Apollo asked.

Perseus shook his head, "Names have power. I will not speak her name until she enters this world. I am sure Athena can figure it out. She is like the Hades of my pantheon except she is evil. Angry because she was abandoned and sent to her realm by her father, my uncle Loki."

Athena looked thoughtful for a moment before her eyes widened, "Hel?"

Thunder boomed overhead. Everyone looked at Zeus who looked shocked. Then they looked at Perseus who looked furious.

"Do not speak her name." He growled. "Names have power and she will release the worst monsters in Norse mythology on this world."

"Why have we not heard of this yet? It must be because of your existence boy." Zeus spat.

Perseus' eyes flashed with anger, "My destiny was to be the difference in this war. I guess you do not wish for my help. Fine. I have a feeling the Titans will be far more grateful for my help." He snarled.

Zeus glared at the demigod, "So you are our enemy. Ares, kill this boy."

Ares jumped out of his throne, "How do you want it kid? Modern or old fashioned?"

Before he could wait for an answer, Mjolnir appeared in Perseus' hands. He didn't hesitate to hurl the weapon at Ares. It collided with the war god's chest and sent him flying into the wall of the throne room.

Mjolnir flew back into Perseus' hand, thunder booming far louder than Zeus' overhead as Perseus looked at the King of the Gods enraged.

"I came here to be your ally. You obviously have no wish to accept my help. So be it. Remember this day as the day you drove me to the Titans. It shall mark the start of the downfall of Olympus. Your arrogance blinds you fools. To Hell with all of you then!" Perseus bellowed.

A number of Olympians jumped to their feet but a huge bolt of lightning struck, blasting apart the roof of the throne room and struck Perseus. When it vanished, Perseus was gone.

When the fragments of the ceiling finally stopped falling, the throne room erupted into chaos. Every single god began yelling, most directed at Zeus while Aphrodite was trying to get Apollo to heal an injured Ares.

Zeus shot a massive bolt of lightning to silence the room.

"Enough! That boy is but a single demigod! He is not of concern."

Artemis stood up, her face enraged, "He is the most powerful demigod I have ever met. Far more powerful than any demigod of yours, father. I fear you have sealed our fate with your arrogance. He helped me defeat the Titan Atlas and is the only reason I am free from the sky and Zoe and Thalia are alive."

Zeus glared at his daughter, "You will hunt this boy and eliminate the threat before this war begins."

Artemis' eyes widened before they narrowed, "No, I will not. I will hunt him only to try to help convince him to forgive you for your actions. He is a decent man who saved Zoe's life twice."

Zeus' face turned red, "You will do as I say!"

Artemis shook her head, "No I will not. Do as you please but I will not help hunt this demigod." She said before flashing out.

Zeus stared at her throne in shock. She had never defied him like that before. He looked at the rest of the council who looked furious.

"What shall we do about this demigod? We need to eliminate him before he becomes a threat."

Poseidon shook his head, "He came here to help us. Your arrogance truly knows no bounds. Good luck, I will not help hunt this demigod simply because he took offense to you trying to kill him. Perhaps someone can convince him to help us again. If they do, I swear on the Styx I will dethrone you if you lay one finger on him again." He said before dissolving into a sea breeze.

Zeus looked to the rest of the council as they all flashed out one by one until only Hera remained.

She looked at her husband in disgust, "You're an idiot." She said before flashing out.

Zeus sat back down in his throne in disbelief, finally realizing how big of a mistake he may have just made.


	5. Off to see the Romans!

Ch. 5

Olympus was silent.

At least, it seemed that way to the demigods. But if you were a resident of the everlasting city, then you would see that it was actually in a state of alarm. The events of the Winter Solstice meeting had sent the Olympians into prewar mode. They had known that the Titan threat had been coming, but now they had a new menace to worry about.

This was a threat from a whole different pantheon and one that the Greek gods had little knowledge of. There were the myths of the Norse gods. But for the most part, their threats seemed to have been fought by the thunder god, Thor, in the myths.

His son and heir had showed up on their doorstep and offered his help as an ally against the growing threat when he could have just ignored it.

Their response?

They tried to eradicate him and had driven him away, most likely to the opponent, adding yet another powerful foe to their ever-increasing number of enemies.

Things were peachy, thanks for asking.

For months, the gods searched for the demigod whom had introduced himself as Perseus. The hunt had forgone all other missions and focused on the one and only task of finding him. No matter what they tried, they found no trace of the demigod. Olympus as a whole had assumed he had stayed true to his warning and joined the Titan Army, a fact that led to the majority of the Olympians to turn on Zeus, and the brazen bastard had tried to claim the boy had been a traitor from the start and that they didn't need the help of an impertinent little demigod when they have "such a powerful King" he had affirmed haughtily, while the rest of the council knew that it had been most likely Zeus whom had driven the demigod to their enemy with his arrogance.

-x- 

On the other side of the country, a boy with brown hair and obscure russet eyes sauntered through the woods. His new facade was courtesy of his adoptive mothers but his location was of his own choosing.

He stumbled through the woods as if he was exhausted and fatigued. He could feel multiple pairs of cold dark eyes on him as he went, but he played along knowing he couldn't give away his keen senses.

Finally, he stopped as he reached an old broken down mansion. Parts of it looked burnt while others seemed in different stages of decay. He stepped inside the building as leaned against one of the walls, continuing his act in trying to show his weariness and trepidation.

It only took about five minutes before a lone wolf stalked through the doorway. He acted shocked and scared and picked up a stick and held it up in front of him protectively.

The wolf stalked ever closer, creeping its way toward him in a ready to pounce position.

Without a single warning, the wolf lunged at him.

He kept up his act but he also made sure that he didn't show weakness or spinelessness. As the wolf was upon him, his sixth sense took over. He ducked low before rolling to the side. He jumped to his feet as the wolf recovered and snapped at him, only to be met with a solid whack upside the head.

The beast growled and lunged again. This time, he didn't hold back as much, ducking low before cracking the beat across the exposed stomach, snapping the stick in two.

The wolf whimpered as it stumbled back somewhat. Soon, a half dozen more wolves joined it as they all stayed crouched seemingly ready to attack any second.

Perseus looked down at his stick before looking back at the half-dozen animals in front of him, then he looked back down at his stick, then the wolves once again. "Oh, screw this! Come at me." He growled ready for a fight.

Instead (much to his disappointment), a wolf that was larger than the rest came into the room, examining the demigod intently.

"What is your name, child?" A voice spoke in his mind.

His eyes widened slightly as he eyed the largest wolf warily. Then he proceeded to curse himself mentally for not thinking of a new pseudonym. Perseus was a painfully obvious Greek name giving away his true name would certainly not sit well with a camp full of Romans.

"Jack," he answered straightforwardly and he surprised himself when the name rolled off of his lips so easily.

The wolf continued eyeing him closely for a moment before it spoke again.

"How did you end up here?"

"A woman appeared in my dreams and told me to come here, where I would find the place where I belonged." He answered just as he had planned out with his adoptive mothers.

The wolf studied for a moment (which technically means that he was under the cold scrutinized gaze of the wolf for a whole ninety seconds and he certainly did not feel uncomfortable, not at all, nope) looking for some kind of tell that would give a sign of treachery. When it found none, it spoke again.

"West, boy. Head west. If you are strong enough, you will find your destination, it will call to you."

Perseus nodded before he gave in to the urge to mess with the wolf goddess a bit, just to let her know he was not afraid of her.

"West? That's it? How about a specific address? Maybe you could give me one of those portable GPS devices; you know, to make it a bit less tough and less of a pain in the ass, yeah?"

The wolf goddess, Lupa, looked appalled by his response before a low growl began to come from her. One that was soon echoed by the rest of her pack.

Perseus forced himself not to smirk and held up his hands. "Oh, calm down, it was just a suggestion… West it is. I'll just be going now, heh."

The growls grew louder before Perseus skirted around the wolves and out of the Wolf House, almost cheerfully, on his journey to find a destination he already knew the location of. He figured he'd be watched, meaning more acting like a clueless demigod. Mental groan. Maybe he could make his journey more enjoyable by… nah, he wasn't much of a singing kind of guy and he wasn't really going to see a wizard; just a camp full of armed Roman demigods that would not hesitate to attack him as a whole if he made one wrong move or said something that he was not supposed to. So, yeah, off to see the Romans! Oh the joy.

He was not scared, he could say that much.

-x- 

Turns out, it took him a day and a half.

A day and a half of wandering in the general direction of San Francisco but making sure to act confused and making a number to detours in the wrong direction.

He had guessed correct. Every few hours he would see flashes of brown of gray, clear signs of the pack that was trying to trail him unnoticed. He could tell he had caught the eye of the wolf goddess, Lupa. She had likely gotten a whiff of his scent and started wondering exactly who his godly parent was. Gods forbid that she had pegged him as a son of Jupiter. Mental shudder and indignant "hey!".

He slowly approached the borders of Camp Jupiter. Lupa had been right. It had seemingly called to him as he neared it, like an unseen force recognizing him as a demigod and luring him closer.

Before he could move any closer, two guards in Roman style armor apparently emerged out of nowhere, both with weapons out as they approached him.

"Halt, identify yourself!" One of the guards shouted at him.

Perseus raised his hands up as the guards came and stood in front of him. Both leveled spears at his chest as they waited for him to answer.

"Um, my name is Jack. Some wolf told me to head west. This is where I ended up."

The two demigods exchanged a look before they relaxed just somewhat.

"Come with us. We're bringing you to Cassie and David."

Perseus raised an eyebrow but decided against asking questions as he waited for the two demigods to lead him into camp to take him to their… leaders. He followed them a few steps before he stopped in a bit of shock. An entire city had materialized in front of him as soon as he crossed some kind of magical border.

It looked like a mini replica of the "Eternal City" as many referred to Rome as. At least the city he had seen in pictures as when he studied up on the Romans and their ways before coming to California.

"Impressive, huh?" One of the guards asked.

Perseus slowly nodded his head, "Yes… It really is." He answered honestly, not saying what he was thinking; which was that the Romans had a far more remarkable camp than the Greeks.

"Let's move, we need to get back on patrol." A guard ordered and they started walking once again.

Perseus followed, taking in the city and camp before him as they walked. He could see a replica of the Coliseum in Rome and couldn't help but think that was pretty cool, it even had the whole sun roof to keep the spectators in the shade. He may not be a big fan of Greece or Rome but given a choice of the two, Rome was more his style, hands down. He just hoped that the Romans had toilet paper. He had to hold back a shudder when he remembered reading that fun fact.

After the short walk, the two guards came to a stop in front of a building which had a phallic symbol over the door (and Perseus almost burst out laughing despite knowing what the symbol mean. He briefly wondered if some Romans still wore miniature phalluses as charms or if that had been put behind in Ancient Rome). One knocked and waited for permission before they led Perseus inside where he came across two very familiar faces among the five people being addressed by two demigods who wore purple capes, the apparent praetors of camp. He eyed the woman with the toga and bit his tongue to keep his words in. He didn't think that the female praetor would appreciate it if he pointed out that only prostitutes wore togas in the Ancient times, well, aside from men. Oh, the irony.

Yeah, he needed to watch his words.

"Who is this?" One of the praetors asked gesturing to Perseus as all eyes suddenly turned to the three new occupants of the room.

"We found him on the boundaries of camp, Praetors. He comes from the Wolf House. Lupa sent him to us," one of the guards answered dutifully.

The two praetors eyed Perseus carefully, trying to size him up. "What's your name kid? And do you know your godly parent?" The male praetor asked.

Perseus nodded slowly trying not to smirk at what their responses would be.

"My name is Jack." He said before a slight pause. "I'm a son of Venus."

He could see the displeasure in the praetor's eyes as all eyes turned to Jason, whom all of a sudden looked dejected.

"Looks like you've got a new member for your group of misfits, Grace", one of the occupants in the room said with mock sympathy, while most of the rest chuckled a tad.

Perseus' eyes drifted to Reyna, who was the only one not laughing. She was merely looking at Jason with sympathy.

"I don't get it, what's so funny?" Perseus asked naively enough.

A burly looking kid laughed, "We thought you might have been a nifty member of the legion. It seems that, instead, we have a new member of the fashion squad here at camp."

Perseus raised an eyebrow, "Why? Because my mother is the goddess of love, you don't think I can engage in battle?"

The hefty kid laughed harder. "You children of Venus are only good for looking pretty around camp."

Perseus unexpectedly smiled impishly. "Oh, you think I'm pretty. Well, a big handsome stud like you wouldn't mind showing me around camp, now would you?" He said in feminine voice as his smile grew. "What do you say big boy? You want to show me the ropes?" He finished stepping closer to the kid who had frozen on the spot.

Suddenly, the burly kid's eyes flashed with fury and he made to shove Perseus away. Perseus smacked his hands away and delivered a solid punch to the kid's stomach, dropping him to the ground as he struggled to breathe.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, did I hurt you?" Perseus asked in a sickly sweet tone.

The kid jumped to his feet and drew a gladius. "You're going to pay for that, kid."

Perseus stepped back and looked at Reyna, "Care to loan me your weapon for a minute?"

Reyna looked taken aback by the whole situation, but pulled out her gladius and tossed it to him. He caught it by the hilt then looked at the praetors.

"Consent to defend myself?"

The female praetor nodded slowly, "Go ahead, if you think you can."

Perseus grinned, "I think I'll do just fine thank you."

The burly kid wasted no time as the occupants of the room created a circle for the two combatants. He charged, trying to impale him quickly.

Perseus spun to the side but move with lightning speed, slashing a gash across the demigod's thigh making him cry out in pain.

"Oh no, I think I broke a nail." Perseus mocked looking at his fingers and disregarded his combatant as he recovered. His face was red with rage at the lack of respect he was getting from the newbie demigod. The other occupants of the room were trying to contain their laughter at the way the newbie was toying with one of their centurions.

He slashed wildly but Perseus met every strike with his own blade as sparks flew. The larger boy tried to overpower him but found he couldn't. They locked blades as the Roman tried to push forward but Perseus held firm, their faces only inches apart.

"Perhaps you could be a good fighter but your egotism is too large. You simply assume because of my parentage that I am weak. That is your mistake and that is why you lose." Perseus said in a rather tranquil tone.

The centurion pushed against Perseus' blade with all of his strength that he could muster up, but couldn't budge him an inch, "I haven't lost punk."

Perseus smirked as he twisted his wrist, breaking the blades apart as the centurion stumbled a bit only to be met with a fist to the face that dropped him flat onto his back. Perseus stepped on his hand that held the blade and then put the tip of his gladius to the demigod's throat.

"Now you've lost. You would be wise to not judge me before you know me."

"That's enough!" The female praetor said firmly.

Perseus bowed his head slightly and stepped back.

The female praetor looked at the centurion on the ground. "Go gather your cohort. Bring them to the coliseum in an hour. We are going to test Jack here and find him a cohort of his own."

The centurion stood up while glaring harshly at 'Jack' before he walked out of the room with a hand on his still bleeding leg.

Perseus turned to Reyna and held out her weapon for her to take. "Thank you, that was very much appreciated." He said with smile on his face.

Reyna looked at him still in a bit of shock as she took the blade back from him. He stared at her for a second before turning to the two praetors.

"So, what's this test you mentioned?"

The male praetor straightened a bit.

"Each cohort will choose one of its members. You must fight your way through them, one at a time, until you lose. At the end, whatever cohorts are willing to take you, you will choose from."

Perseus nodded, inquisitive at what these Romans had for fighters. The centurion was too easy, his anger clouded his judgment. Apparently, he was a homophobe (or just so deep in the closet that he could go all the way to Narnia - the fictional Narnia, not the one in Italy) but it was too fun not to mess with him.

"So what do I do until then? Wait here?"

The female praetor shook her head, "No. By the way, I'm Cassie and that is David. We're the praetors of the legion. Do well in your test and you'll be joining the legion. Perhaps centurion Reyna or Jason will give you a tour of the city before your test."

The praetor looked at said two centurions. Reyna opened her mouth to reply but Jason beat her to the chase. "I'll give him the tour, let him know how things work in New Rome and in the legion."

Reyna scowled, she had wanted to speak to the new demigod.

Perseus grinned, "Well then, shall we centurion?"


	6. I'm Gonna Make you my Bitch

Ch. 6

"So Jack, how is it you found your way to the Wolf House anyway? Did your father send you there or what?" Jason questioned in an attempt to break the ice with this atypical half-blood.

Perseus shook his head, "It was my mother who told me to go to the Wolf House. My father has never really been around. He left me with some relatives who raised me, until now."

Jason nodded slowly. "So, how old are you? Around fifteen or so?"

Perseus nodded. "Yeah. I guess my mother thought it was time for me to come to camp, not that those monsters were much of an issue when I was growing up, really." In the dark tone that he spoke those words, made Jason shift slightly, but then chose to ignore it.

"Yeah, they probably didn't bother you much. Children of Venus usually don't have that strong of a demigod scent." Jason agreed and Perseus seriously wanted to smack the condescension from his flaxen head; but he held himself back. At least he wasn't as bad as his father. Plus, it didn't exactly sound like an insult towards him (even though he wasn't even a child of Venus - but he made a good one, eh?).

Perseus chuckled flippantly and controlled himself. "That's not what I meant by my statement, but hey, whatever rocks your socks."

Jason raised an eyebrow but decided to not respond to that.

"Did you know that people with blue eyes are mutants?"

Well, that came out of nowhere. "I'm sorry, what?"

Perseus turned to look at Jason with an impassive expression plastered on his face. "What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"What did you say?" Jason asked in bewilderment - he had no idea why Jack had just told him that. Was he poking fun at him? All of the sudden, he became very self-conscious about his eyes, which was pretty damn ridiculous because he was acting like a frickin' girl. 

"I don't know; what did I say, hm?" Oh, yes, so this newbie was making fun of him. He, frankly, did not know how to respond to that, so he chose to push his confusion away and continued to make light banter with Jack as he showed him around New Rome, yet he couldn't shake the irksome feeling he had met this kid before, but knew that if he had met this specific demigod, that he would have surely remembered - probably have it seared in his brain eternally, with that cynical and impish attitude.

Soon, it was nearing the time for his test, and Jason began to lead him towards the coliseum.

"If you want, I'll send out a weaker demigod to battle with you. It might help to make a good impression with the legion if you win a fight to start off. Most half-bloods suffer defeat in the first round, so making it past my cohort would be a good way to start off."

Perseus nodded as a small smile played on his lips, "I would prefer if you sent your best. If I'm going to make a good impression, I'd rather it be against the best you've got."

Jason lingered on Jack's words. "Well, that would be me," he said carefully, "but Centurions just about never chose themselves for the combats."

Perseus shrugged. "Well that's a shame, and I really wouldn't have minded smacking around that kid from earlier again."

Jason laughed a bit, "I think you caught him off guard. He's centurion from the second cohort. No one's made it to the second cohort since Reyna's test; I made it to the third in my test. Maybe if you get lucky, you'll make it to the third opponent. If you do, maybe I can make you my second in command. My other centurion is leaving the legion in a bit and you may be the ideal replacement as long as you put on a respectable showing in the coliseum."

Perseus listened to Jason's advice and almost felt a little bad for being a dick when they initially had encountered. "Thanks. I appreciate the words of encouragement. Let's get to the arena; I'm itching to get into the test."

Jason smiled but he still gazed at 'Jack' a little strangely, "You're different than any child of Venus I've ever met."

Perseus smirked as he flexed his fingers - they were just so eager to wrap themselves around a weapon and whoop some Roman ass. "Trust me centurion, I'm full of surprises."

Jason did not doubt that for a second.

-x-

Perseus stood in the archway of the entrance to the coliseum, getting ready for his test. He held a gladius and Roman style shield in each hand. They had been given to him by toga-wearer-but-not-a-prostitute-Praetor Cassie, who was staring at him a bit too much for his tastes, bearing in mind that this wasn't even his actual appearance (it was probably his ass. He does have a rather nice rear, if he did say so himself). He attempted to mentally prepare himself for the fights. He wanted to put on a good show, but he had to be sure not to demonstrate just how well trained he truly was.

And he had to make sure not to get enraged. Yeah, angry Percy was not a good Percy, and it would, without doubt, give away his parentage… to some extent. Thunder tended to rumble when that happened and the last thing he wanted was another face to face with Zeus, or Jupiter, or whoever the egotistical prick showed up as. He would surely throw a fit and Percy wasn't really in the frame of mind to handle the whinny bitch. He had a test to pass.

He heard his name called and that's when he made his way out into the center of the arena. The coliseum was packed full of legionnaires, all buzzing with exhilaration over the fights about to take place. He could see a few demigods collecting money.

They were doubtlessly wagers about how long he would last. He held back a rather unattractive snort. He had plans to make sure no one was right.

He received the signal from one of the legionnaires down in the arena level and made his way out to the heart of the arena. He felt peculiarly invigorated by the mix of cheers and boos he was receiving.

Most of those boos were coming from a certain group in the stands; the second cohort, he guessed dryly.

The two Praetors rose and silenced the crowd by raising their hands. The Romans knew a thing or two about respect; Perseus had to give them that.

"We have a new recruit for the legion!" Cassie yelled loud enough for all to hear her. "Our new recruit's name is Jack, a son of Venus."

A chorus of mirth and jeers erupted from the greater part of the crowd. A large number of them tried to alter their bets with the smirking bookies that looked like they had just struck gold.

Perseus found himself strangely aggravated by this. He may have not really been a child of Venus, but suddenly felt the desire to defend his phony mother's honor along with that of his faux siblings.

"First up, from cohort five, Marcus, son of Mars!" David yelled, to which the crowd erupted into deafening ovation.

Perseus took a quick look at Jason and saw a gaze that said, 'this is what you asked for'.

A stocky demigod made his way out of the other end of the coliseum. He heedlessly held a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. He only wore fractional armor, like this wasn't worth putting all his gear on.

Perseus would acquire so much pleasure in teaching him just how idiotic his decision had been. Wait that sounded dirty.

The demigod stopped ten feet away and looked at Perseus with a self-righteous smirk curling onto his lips.

"Don't fret, pretty boy, I'll go easy on you. I really wouldn't want my dad to get livid for thrashing up one of his girlfriend's daughters."

Perseus bristled a bit before he panicked mentally.

He was going native already.

"The rules are simple: fight until surrender or incapacitation. Killing is not permitted." Cassie said before looking at Perseus to see if he was ready. When he nodded, she smiled, "Begin!"

Marcus strolled over heedlessly while Perseus remained rooted to his spot.

"You're not really going to try and fight me, are you? We all know children of Venus can't fight, so I'll play along for a minute before I knock you off your feet. Okay kid?" The demigod said casually before yawning to show his lack of interest for the fight.

Perseus leisurely tilted his head to the left, his neck cracking loudly as he did. He did the same to the right side before he dropped his shield.

"I'm really going to take pleasure in kicking your ass." Perseus growled before he charged at the arrogant half-blood.

Marcus seemed taken aback by his speed as he struggled to defend himself from the flurry of strikes that Perseus unleashed. He was unremitting, giving the demigod no chance to convalesce.

He feinted a strike to the head and when Marcus brought up his shield to defend, was when Perseus changed directions and struck to the left. Marcus brought up his blade to block.

'Jack' suddenly spun to his left, slipped before the demigod before swinging his gladius like a baseball bat and cracking the legionnaire upside the head with the flat of his blade.

Marcus stumbled frontward and fell to his knees as he dropped his shield and put his hand to head while he tried to stop the ringing as his brain felt like it was rattling inside his skull.

Perseus didn't give him a break and swung his gladius at his head, a strike Marcus scarcely blocked with his own blade. He had no chance to stop the kick that hit him square in the sternum and sent him onto his back.

Perseus pounced forward and kicked the sword out of his hand.

The coliseum was in a stunned silence.

Perseus looked all over the place, his eyes tapering in exasperation with the attitude of these Romans. They were so quick to judge others based on their line of blood. He would continue to teach them on why it isn't so wise to judge books by their covers.

He tossed his gladius to the ground and glared at the demigod expectantly. "Come on! Tell me that isn't it? Let's go. Son of Mars versus son of Venus."

Marcus climbed to his feet in a state of 'what-the-holy-fucking-hell-just-happened' kind of disbelief.

"Come on tough guy, I'm not even trying yet! You're a disgrace to Rome if you have given up already. You're such a coward." Perseus sneered unsympathetically.

He got the reaction he was looking for.

Marcus charged at him in an enraged state. He threw a heavy punch right at Perseus' face.

He stood there and took it.

With a smile on his face.

A fucking smile on his face.

A fucking smug smile on his face.

Marcus looked at him shocked as Perseus turned back toward him after the punch. His lips were split but a grin crept onto his face. Not a normal grin, though. It was the grin of a psychopath who couldn't have had anything better happen to him before he got punched in his face.

"I guess you sons of Mars are a little frail in the wrists. I swear, a bug just landed on my face or something."

Marcus' eyes widened before he threw another punch.

This time Perseus ducked and tripped the son of Mars as the missed haymaker made him stumble forward. As he tried to climb back to his feet, he was met with a boot to the face that sent him to the ground in a comatose heap.

Perseus looked at him for a minute to make sure he was out cold before he walked over and stood with one foot on his chest as he turned grinning to the silent crowd.

"We're going to need a medic. I think I might have broken a bit of his pride." He bellowed to the still unmoving crowd. "But my nails are fine, thanks for asking," he mockingly said, then a grin spread onto his face, "Can the newbie get a little applause or should I kick him in the face again?"

The stunned Romans suddenly erupted into cheers for the show they just witnessed. After a minute, Cassie stood and raised her hand to silence the crowd.

"Jack is the winner. Medics, bring Marcus to the infirmary. Next, we have Alex, son of Mercury."

A slender boy with blonde hair and blue eyes walked out of the other end of the arena. He held a gladius and shield in hand as he waited for Perseus to retrieve his weapons.

Once they were both ready and stood about ten feet apart, David gave the signal to begin.

Alex was smarter than the preceding opponent as he slowly circled Perseus looking to an opening to attack. After a moment, he thought he saw one as he rushed forward. His speed was remarkable and it took Perseus a minute to adjust after the thick and shoddy son of Mars he had just trounced.

He soon got a feel for his speedy opponent's style as he waited for his opening.

He saw it and sprang into offense. He pushed the son of Mercury on the defensive but held back, a bit not wishing to show off how experienced he really was.

The two went back and forth, Alex's aggravation continued to grow as he failed to land a blow. Perseus stumbled a bit after a missed jab as the speedy demigod tried to run him through. He barely dodged the blade but now had the quick opponent right where he wanted him.

He slammed his shield into the legionnaire's chest before he hooked his leg behind his and threw a hard shoulder into him, knocking Alex onto his back.

Before he could recover Perseus put his gladius to his throat.

"Yield?"

Alex scowled but nodded, "I yield."

Perseus removed his blade and offered his hand which Alex took gratefully.

"Jack wins again!" Cassie yelled from her seat once the cheering stopped. "Next, we have Jennifer, daughter of Apollo from cohort three."

A slender looking girl walked out next. A bow was strapped her back and she stopped further away than his other opponents as Perseus guessed what her tactic would be.

David gave the signal to begin and Jennifer wasn't indecisive as she pulled out her bow. She quickly notched an arrow and fired. Perseus dove away, taking cover behind his shield as he tried to make himself as small as possible.

He waited, arrows occasionally bouncing off the shield as he did. He could tell by the clang they made that Jennifer was stalking closer. He didn't dare look as he had no wish for an arrow to catch him in the face when he did. How else would he continue to identify as a son of Venus, if not for his pretty face? He really did not want to be that guy.

He was a little anxious he was going to lose. She would be on him any second and he wouldn't be able to recover in time. A risky plan crossed his mind. He waited as another arrow bounced off his shield.

She was close.

He focused as a rumble of thunder sounded. He jumped out from behind his shield to find her looking at the sky. He slammed the hilt of his gladius into the hand that held her bow making it clatter to the ground. He put his blade to her throat before she could react.

"You got so lucky, pretty boy." Jennifer growled.

Perseus grinned, "Sorry but you got to take what they give you. And thank you, I do look good, don't I? Regrettably, you won't be getting lucky from me tonight. Maybe some other time, sweetheart." And he winked charmingly. Oh dear gods, he was actually behaving like a child of Venus. That was a good sign, right? Right?! 

Jennifer glared at him, but a slight tinge of pink appeared on her cheeks.

"I yield," she growled.

Perseus stepped back and lowered his blade as she stalked away from him; clearly still pissed she had let herself get diverted.

"Another victory for Jack!" David announced. "Next, we have Rory, son of Mars and centurion of the second!"

A familiar looking burly demigod stalked out to the arena. The look on his face promised pain while Perseus could not help but grin broadly at the sight.

"I knew you liked me," he teased. "I have to say, you're starting to grow on me, good lookin'. Don't worry, we can get together later. We're gonna have a good time."

Rory didn't even wait for the command to begin. He charged straight a Perseus, who ducked under a wild slash. He jumped back to avoid being impaled as Rory recovered and continued pressing his attack.

Perseus jumped and danced around, avoiding every attack but never raising his sword or shield as he watched with glee as Rory became more and more infuriated.

"Hold still and take your beating, coward!" Rory snarled.

That is like an ass talking about ears, Perseus thought dryly. Perseus ducked under another badly aimed attack and slipped behind Rory giving him a pat on the ass as he went by.

"You must work out. You have a really nice ass." He said with a girlish giggle as he backed away.

"I'll murder you! I will fucking murder you, you fag!" Rory snarled as Perseus' grin vanished.

Rory brought down his sword in an overhand strike that was met with another gladius. Perseus pushed back and lunged forward tapping the demigod on the foot with his blade. When Rory looked down, he was met with a hard uppercut that sent him reeling back.

"That wasn't very nice Rory. I'm starting to think you're trying to overcompensate. Perhaps some innermost desires that you're trying to push away?"

Rory lunged again, trying to tackle Perseus this time but the Norse demigod dropped down low as Rory stumbled into him. The Roman flipped over his back and hit the rough dirt arena floor with a loud thud.

Perseus spun around and put his gladius not to Rory's throat but instead right up against his little centurions.

"Now is that hidden weapon in there or are you just happy to see me?" he mocked before his voice turned dark and dangerous. "Just be relieved I'm not gay or I would have cut it off. Now do you yield or shall I make my first attempt at battlefield amputations?"

Rory's eyes widened in horror.

"I yield! I yield!"

Perseus grinned and pushed the blade tighter again his groin. "Now let's see if you can keep that potty mouth of yours shut, or I won't be so lenient next time."

Cassie stood up and forced herself to stop laughing. "Jack wins again! Now for the final opponent; the only other recruit to make it the first cohort in her test, Reyna, daughter of Bellona!"

Perseus looked up to see Reyna making her way down from the stands. It was clear this was a late minute verdict on her part. He eyed her carefully. She was skilled and the look on her face said she had no plans of be beaten in this fight.

She stopped a few yards away from him, her jaw was set and eyes narrowed at him.

Perseus on the other hand was still relaxed. There was something this Roman demigod he liked. Sure, she was striking, but it something else that caught his eye. The way she carried herself, as if she didn't have a doubt in the world that she was about to kick his ass despite the way he just ran through the first four opponents in the test.

Without warning, the praetor gave the signal to begin.

Reyna lunged at him, her gladius coming down in a powerful arc aimed at his chest. He parried her strike and attacked himself. His carefree demeanor shown earlier long gone as the two went back and forth, a shower of sparks rained down around the two combatants, their blades barely more than blurs as they tried to break through the other's defenses.

This continued on for a full minute and half until Reyna blocked an attack and backtracked, gaining a little breathing room between her and the 'son of Venus'.

She waited for him to attack.

The minute he did, she stepped forward, her blade digging a few inches into the dirt before her foot followed, connecting with the blade and sending a mess of dirt into his face.

Perseus cursed as he backpedaled quickly. He could hear her armor as she moved forward to attack. He went with a perilous move and stopped backtracking as he surged right at her, his head down as he speared her to the ground.

He rolled off before she could recuperate and put a little distance between him and the Roman demigoddess.

Reyna hopped to her feet but stopped when she saw his vision was now clear and the look in his eyes promised pain. "That was cheap but effective. Don't expect something like that to work again." He growled at her.

Reyna narrowed her eyes and charged. Their blades locked before Reyna's fist quickly followed.

He turned his head but not before it caught him in the corner of his eye and opened up a small cut that began a trail of blood down his face.

He stumbled back a bit, a look of shock on his face before it became more impressed than anything.

Reyna made to charge again when Perseus launched his shield at her knees making her jump over it. Before her feet could find the earth again, he was on her, his fist nailing her in the chest plate and knocking her flat on her back, the air knocked from her lungs.

Perseus tried to put his blade to her throat but she swatted it away and slashed his leg dropping him to a knee. She jumped to her feet as he did the same. The circled each other slowly before both charged again.

Their blades locked together as they pushed against each other, their faces only inches apart.

Then Perseus did the last thing anyone anticipated; he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips.

Reyna's eyes widened but before she could act in response, his leg hooked behind hers as he pushed her to the ground. He jumped on her wrist pinning her blade to the ground as he leveled his weapon at her throat.

"Yield?" He asked tiredly.

Reyna looked murderous as she slowly nodded as he stepped back. She jumped to her feet and

got right in his face.

"You're lucky I don't kill you for that." She growled.

To her astonishment, he simply smirked, "No. You're lucky you're not dead now. You let yourself get distracted. Don't like it? Tough. You lost."

Reyna glared at him as the praetors stepped onto the arena floor and made their way over to them.

David looked shocked while Cassie was grinning a bit. "Now we have our second recruit to make it through all five rounds of the fight! Jack…" Cassie trailed off and looked at 'Jack'.

Perseus broke his gaze from Reyna and gave the praetors a small smile. "Jack Vidar."

"Jack Vidar, son of Venus!" echoed Cassie; David raised his hand to silence the crowd.

"I need centurions from all five cohorts down here right now so that we can find Jack here a cohort of his own, though I can guess where he'll be going."

The other four centurions made their way down and lined up beside Reyna.

"Now we will find Jack here a cohort." Cassie began as she looked at the centurions. "Since he made his way through all five tests, I assume he will be welcomed in by any cohort, correct?" She asked looking directly at Reyna who was still glaring daggers at Perseus.

"Yes, I think I could find some use for this legionnaire." Reyna answered frigidly as the praetors and centurions all looked to Perseus.

He smirked a bit, "Well, while a little S&M sounds like a great time, and Centurion Reyna, believe me, it does. I think I would prefer to join Centurion Jason in the fifth."

The centurions and praetors all looked shocked.

"What! Why would you want to join those misfits?" Rory yelled at him.

Perseus smiled slyly, "Relax, I can tell you have a thing for me and all but I was just messing with you, I don't swing that way. And you should watch your words because if Jason accepts me, then you're insulting my cohort. Would you like to go for a third round?"

Rory's face turned red with rage. He tried to step forward but Reyna and the centurion from the third held him in place.

Cassie glared at the centurion, "You will calm down. No one is going to listen to you whine simply because he humiliated you twice now. Be silent for the repercussions will be harsh."

David cleared his throat and looked at Jason, "Will you accept Jack into your cohort?"

Jason straightened and grinned, "We would be honored to welcome him in. I would like a word with you two praetors afterward, if you don't mind."

The two praetors exchanged a look and nodded, "Very well. We can speak shortly. Jack will be welcomed officially into the legion tonight in the Senate House. Bring your cohorts back to your barracks before heading to the mess hall for dinner." David ordered.

The centurions all nodded and began to leave. As she walked by, Reyna looked at Perseus with a slight glare, "I want a word with you, before dinner." He wanted to tease her and ask her what kind of speaking they would do, but he figured she was pissed enough as it was.

Perseus smiled, "Your wish is my command, my lady."

Reyna rolled her eyes and walked away as Jason went off with David and Cassie led Perseus back towards the fifth to meet the members of his cohort.


	7. Wooing with Sarcasm

Ch. 7

Well, any hopes for a warm welcoming into the fifth cohort were shot away as Perseus was introduced by Praetor Cassie and met with a combination of baffled and awestruck looks from the members of his cohort. After a few convivial introductions, Jason returned to lead the group back to their barracks before heading to the mess hall.

As they made their way, Perseus noticed a plump looking Asian kid sneaking fleeting looks at him as they walked.

"Take a picture Kung-Fu Panda, it'll last longer."

The legionnaire's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to reply but no words escapes his lips. Perseus grinned cockily, "Don't worry, that reaction is typical. People, they tend to be in awe when the look at me for the first time."

The demigod's face reddened in mortification as he continued to fail to find his voice.

Perseus gave him a somewhat gentle punch in the arm. "Jeez kid, relax. I was only joking. What's your name?"

The kid blinked a couple times and then cleared his throat, "Frank. My name is Frank Zhang."

Perseus grinned and held out his hand, "Jack Vidar, son of Venus, it's good to meet you Frank. Frank, huh? Frankly, I like the name, Frank." He muttered as he cursed himself for not picking Frank. Frank sounded like a good name, a more badass name than Jack… he could have had so many opportunities for puns. Oh, how he loves puns.

Frank looked at the demigod with a baffled expression at how abruptly he got diverted by the mention of a name before he shook his hand, "Yeah, that was, uh, quite a show you put on in the coliseum there."

Perseus chuckled. "That? That was nothing. Well, until Reyna. Damn, that girl can pack a punch." Frank laughed a bit, "Enjoy it while you can. She's going to kill you for kissing her."

Perseus smiled slyly, "Maybe, but it was worth it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Frank shook his head at Jack's happy-go-lucky attitude. He had a feeling it would come back and bite him in the ass soon enough. The moment that thought crossed his mind, Frank looked up to see Reyna waiting at the entrance of the mess hall, her eyes already locked on 'Jack' as he heedlessly strolled alongside Frank.

Frank tried to give him a sly elbow to get his attention but his inept attempt missed as he stumbled gawkily into him drawing looks from a number of the surrounding legionnaires.

Frank leaned over to 'Jack' anyway, "You should try to make a quick exit. Reyna looks like she's out for blood."

Perseus looked up and, to Frank's horror; the smug bastard began to grin broadly.

"Just the beautiful Centurion I was hoping to see. I'll catch you inside, Frank." He said, giving the demigod a reassuring pat on the back as he stepped away from his cohort and stopped a couple yards in front of the narrow eyed demigoddess.

Reyna waited until the rest of the cohort made their way inside before she took a step towards Perseus. "How dare you kiss me in front of the entire legion and in the middle of the battle?" She hissed vehemently.

Percy raised an eyebrow, "What? I thought it was a good strategy. Besides, I mean we were only inches apart when I figured it was a good time to make my move."

Reyna's hand went to her dagger but she stopped and took a couple deep, calming breaths. "Who are you? You don't act like any child of Venus I've ever met. You don't even act like a Roman! That was a crucial test and you spent half of it making jokes and insulting your fellow legionnaires!" She said through clenched teeth to hold back her screams of fury.

His face became more serious as he narrowed his eyes at the girl in front of him. "That is where you are wrong, Centurion Reyna. I was being quite serious during the test. The moment the words 'son of Venus' left my mouth, I was tagged as an insignificant recruit, or 'a new recruit for the fashion police'. I humiliated those legionnaires because they needed to be shown their place. Did I do the same with you or the fighters from cohorts three and four? No, I did not. What I did, I did for a specific reason. You all think you can judge me before you know me? I took great pleasure in showing you quite how foolish those actions were." He finished firmly with his fists balled and his jaw clenched.

Reyna looked a little taken aback by his tone. She had never seen him act humorless since she first laid eyes on him. "Fine, I suppose I can see your reasoning. Care to tell me why you turned down my cohort and chose the fifth, the cohort known to be the weakest in the legion?" She asked in a less incensed tone.

Percy opened his mouth to answer when Reyna held up her hand to stop him. She narrowed her eyes and stalked to the doorway to the mess hall before she reached around the door frame and dragged a wide-eyed Frank Zhang by the collar.

"You better have a damn good excuse for eavesdropping on our private conversation Zhang." Reyna growled with vehemence in her dark eyes.

Frank went pallid and he looked over to 'Jack' for help. Perseus gave him an encouraging nod.

Frank turned back to Reyna fretfully, "I'll be honest with you, -" Frank was interrupted abruptly by an irritated Perseus. "Man, you had your chance and you missed it! I thought I knew you Zhang… I don't even know who you are anymore!" Jack said sadly and wiped away a fake tear.

Both Frank and Reyna turned to look at him in perplexity. "I'm sorry, what?" Frank asked.

"Instead of saying: "I'll be honest", you could have said: "I'll be FRANK with you. You had the chance and you missed it!"

Reyna looked appalled while Frank looked lost for words. "And this is important, why?" She asked.

Perseus raised an eyebrow, "Important? His name is Frank!"

Frank blinked and smiled dryly looking back at the Centurion. "I'll be FRANK with you," he said, putting a special emphasis on 'frank', to which Perseus nodded very thrilled. "Yeah, too late. The effect is just not there, you feel me?" … Apparently not thrilled enough.

Frank and Reyna both blinked in disbelief.

"Return to the mess hall, Zhang." Reyna muttered darkly.

The chubby teen did not need to be told twice as he spun on his heel and made a beeline for his cohort's table.

Reyna glared at the 'son of Venus'. "I thought you said you were serious! You can't stop making jokes!"

'Jack' chuckled to himself and shook his head. "Wrong again Reyna. I like that kid. He's the only one in my cohort who has spoken to me without looking at me like I'm a menace or a freak. You were going to chew him out so I simply deflected your anger to me." He explained, "and c'mon, that would be funny, right?"

Reyna opened her mouth but stopped. She had just let this newbie demigod play her. She was torn between embarrassment and rage. "I… I don't like you. You infuriate me legionnaire!" She stammered.

"Are you saddened that I held back in our fight? I'm sorry, I tried to make not perceptible." He replied back calmly.

Reyna's eyes shot wide open, "You did not hold back! I would have known."

Perseus feigned a remorseful look, "Oh! I mean, obviously you're right. I was only kidding. Seriously, that was my best, I swear on it. Word of a Roman," he unsuccessfully tried to hold back a smirk.

Reyna's face turned bright red. "A rematch! Tomorrow! I demand a rematch!" She growled at him.

Perseus gave her a sly smile, "A rematch? Why? I already won. There is no real incentive for me to grant you this rematch Centurion. If that's all, I'm quite late for my meal and all that acting in the coliseum really brewed up my appetite." He said turning to walk into the mess hall.

Reyna grabbed his shoulder and spun him back towards her, "I am your superior officer and I am ordering you to fight me again!"

Perseus smirked, "Hmm, well you make it really tempting but still, I'll pass."

Reyna narrowed her eyes, "What do you want then?"

The grin threatened to split his face. He tilted his head to the side and feigned to be in deep thought. "I want a proper tour of the city and camp, from you and you alone. I'll be in the coliseum at dawn. After that, my tour. And some breakfast in the city. We'll call it our first date."

Reyna's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to argue when he spun on his heel and stepped towards the mess hall. He spoke before she could. "I'll be in there at dawn. I'll assume you decided to concede victory if you're not there. Have a good evening, Centurion." He said as he stepped into the mess hall and vanished from sight.

Reyna stood there, mouth agape. No one had ever spoken to her like that. Everyone feared and respected her within camp. Now this new demigod acts like he could care less that she was Centurion of the first cohort. She was livid. She was beyond enraged. But a very small part of her was fascinated. He was different than anyone she had met and despite how much she hated admitting it, she was interested to know more about the demigod. Something about him was different and for some reason she could shake the feeling that it was in a good way.

She shook her head and walked into the mess hall for dinner, interested to see what his initiation tonight and their morning tomorrow would entail.

-x-

Jason walked beside Perseus with a scowl on his face. They had just gone back and forth for almost an hour before Jason was forced to give in, regardless of being his centurion; 'Jack' was the most stubborn demigod he had met in his life. He was evidently immune to all methods of persuasion including direct orders and pleading.

So you may be asking yourself, what the Pluto were they even arguing about? 

Wearing a gods' forsaken toga.

They were on their way to the Senate House for his initiation into the legion and the stubborn bastard downright repudiated to put on the proper attire for the meeting.

"You're going to look like an idiot in front of the Senate." Jason reminded him as they walked.

"Coming from the guy wearing a bed sheet at the moment? No offense bro, but I don't think you're in the proper attire to tell anyone they're going to look like an idiot." Percy replied with a slight smirk.

"You're a Roman damn it! This is what we wear to meetings of the government." Jason snapped.

'Jack' smiled, "Listen dude, I love Rome. I love being a Roman. But I'm not putting on a bedsheet and walking around in public. I'll wear my armor and be damn proud of it."

Jason rolled his eyes as they walked into the Senate Building.

Percy drew a lot of inquisitive looks but he just smiled charmingly and stupidly as he made his way to his seat beside Jason in the first row.

Cassie stood up once Percy and Jason were seated as the senators fell into stillness.

"Fellow Romans, we are here today to initiate Jack Vidar, son of Venus, into the legion. After his test in the coliseum earlier today, Centurion Jason has made an unprecedented request, and one that I have decided to support along with my counterpart, Praetor David."

The senator looked towards the first row. All had heard about Jack's shocking display, making it through all five competitors including the Centurions from the first and second cohort.

"Since Centurion Gwen is retiring to attend college in the city, there is an opening in the position of Centurion in the fifth cohort and Jason Grace has requested that Jack Vidar is to take Gwen's place as his second in command." Cassie proclaimed to the flabbergasted Senators.

A quiet murmur made its way through the senate before David stood up with his hand raised. The senate fell silent again.

"We understand this is not the usual way for a Centurion to be chosen, but given the ease in which Jack made his way through some of the legion's best, we are inclined to agree to this idea. A leader and fighter of Jack's caliber will only improve the legion. I, Praetor Cassie, and Centurion Grace are all willing to vouch for Jack in this instance. Now, we shall put it to a vote, all of those in favor of this decision?"

A heavy majority of the Senators raised their hands to give their consent.

"And all those opposed?" He asked.

The remaining Senators raised their hands.

"The Senate has spoken. Jack Vidar will be the newest Centurion of Cohort Five. Could our auger please come forth to complete the process?" Cassie asked. "And Jack, please come up here."

Perseus rose from his seat and walked to the front as a scrawny blonde boy did the same. Perseus forced himself not to break out laughing as he laid eyes on the auger and the stuffed animals hanging from the belt around his toga.

"Check the auguries Octavian," David ordered. "We must be sure we are not angering the gods."

Octavian pulled one of his teddy bears from his waist before he pulled out a dagger. He sliced open the stomach of the stuffed bear and Perseus had to force himself not to cry out for an adult after the vicious massacre of the innocent bear (he made a mental note to keep his favorite Panda Pillow Pet concealed from the auger's grimy hands; he really did not want Pedro to be murdered in cold blood.). Instead, he focused on the mind of the auger, shoving aside his worries for another day.

Octavian's eyes glazed over for a second before he looked into the cotton entrails of the bear. After a moment, he looked up to the Senate. "The auguries say Vidar will be a valuable asset to the legion. One that will help us in the war against Saturn!"

Perseus grinned, these Romans were almost as easy to manipulate as the Greeks. He smiled at the gift he got from the all-father and his ability to sway this bogus prophet of Rome.

Cassie grinned at the news coming from Octavian's mouth. She had expected the auger to put up a fuss over Jack but couldn't help but feel relieved.

"Hold out your arm, son of Venus." Octavian ordered. Perseus put out his right arm.

Octavian raised his hands to the heavens. "We accept Jack Vidar, son of Venus, to the Twelfth Legion Fulminata for his first year of service. Do you pledge your life to the senate and people of Rome?"

"I do." Perseus said confidently.

The senators shouted, "Senatus Populusque Romanus!"

Fire blazed on Perseus' arm as he just watched it with curiosity.

Then the smoke and flame died, and new marks were seared onto Perseus' skin: SPQR, an image of a dove and a single stripe, representing the first year of service.

Percy then looked at Cassie who nodded to him, "You may return to your seat, Centurion." She said with a content smile on her face.

The rest of the meeting was a blur as Perseus hardly paid attention to what was said. Before he knew it, he was on his way back to his barrack with Jason. About half-way there, he stepped in front of Jason and stopped. "I just wanted to thank you Jason. The minute I walked into this camp people have been judging me based off who my mother is. You looked past that and I wanted to thank you for that." He said holding out his hand.

Jason looked surprised but grasped his hand firmly, "I don't like to judge people based off their parentage. People seem to think I'm supposed to end up as the leader of this camp just because my Dad is Jupiter but I like to think if I do end up as Praetor, it will be because of me and not my Dad."

Perseus smiled a bit. He had met Jason's father, or at least his Greek aspect and he was pleased to see his son was nothing like him. He knew he made the right choice joining Jason and the fifth; this was exactly where he belonged.

"Let's get back to the barracks; we have to explain the situation to the cohort." Jason said breaking Perseus from his thoughts as the duo made their way out of New Rome and into Camp Jupiter.

-x-

Perseus stood in the coliseum as he watched the sun rise. He knew Reyna would be here shortly; the Centurion of the first cohort would never let his remark about holding back slide. Her pride was too great and she was too good of a fighter to allow him to say that he wasn't giving his all when they battled.

Within minutes, Reyna appeared at the other end of the coliseum dressed in full battle armor and looking ready to kick his ass. She slowly made her way over to him, her eyes never straying from their narrowed look as she stared him down.

"Ready for a beat down, Vidar?" She practically spat out his name with venom.

Jack finally met her eyes and grinned. "Of course I am Reyna. It's a beautiful morning and there is a beautiful girl who got out of bed just to kick my ass. I don't know about you but I couldn't think of a better morning."

Despite how hard she tried, she couldn't keep the blood from rising her cheeks. This only served to increase her anger though. She was there for a serious bout and he was more interested in flirting than preparing for their fight. "I'm going to kick your ass, Jack." She told him darkly.

Perseus smiled, "I thought this was our first date… I have to say I'm a little upset you're not as excited as me."

Reyna growled under her breath, "I would never date someone like you, son of Venus. You're just a condescending and cocky little brat."

Perseus smile vanished, "You truly think me arrogant Reyna? Why don't you come at me and I will show you just how wrong you are."

Reyna pulled out her gladius and charged. What she did not expect was for him to stand there unmoving. As she raised her blade, he stepped forward and planted a hard kick to her chest that sent her to flat to the ground.

"When I said I was holding back, I was serious. Do not mistake me for some little boy, Centurion." He growled, all humor was gone from his features as he looked at Reyna through narrowed eyes.

Reyna jumped to her feet and charged again. This time Perseus pulled out his own blade and met her charge head on. They exchanged blows as spark flew from their swords.

Reyna feigned a blow high but ducked down to swipe at his legs. Perseus, though, read her like a book. Since he could walk he was trained by his adoptive mothers and despite her skill, she was a walk in the park for the Norse demigod.

He jumped over her swipe and slammed the hilt of his sword into the top of her skull sending her to the ground in a heap.

He looked at her injured form and felt a slight pang of guilt worm its way into his heart. He reached down and scooped her up, carrying her over to a seat to the side of the arena.

He laid her down with her head in his lap before he started muttering something quietly under his breath. The hand he had placed on her head glowed faintly before her eyes fluttered open as she stared up at him incredulously.

"How?" She asked quietly.

He gave her a sheepish smile, "I have spent my entire life training since I could walk. You are the toughest rival I have ever faced, but today you let your conceit get the best of you. I wasn't holding back in our fight yesterday but when I told you I was today, you let your antagonism cloud your mind. If you had kept a clear head, it would have been a long and difficult fight." He said softly.

Reyna just stared up at him, ignoring the fact her head was in his lap, with awe. "Who are you? Really?" She asked.

Perseus looked away for a minute before he turned back to meet her dark eyes. "That is a more difficult question than you might know. I promise you, if I know I can trust you, I will tell you everything."

Reyna looked back at him mystified before she slowly nodded, understanding he did not want to tell him life story to someone he just met.

"So does this mean I get a proper tour of camp and breakfast in the city?" He asked with a small smile. "I mean, those were the terms of our fight, right?"

Reyna picked her head up off his lap and waited for the blood to leave her face before she turned back to him, "I am a Roman and we Romans keep our word. Let's go, we only have a couple hours before we have to be back at camp."

Perseus grinned and stood up, pleased to be getting a proper tour from the only Roman other than Jason and Frank he had any interest in getting to know.


	8. A Quest

Ch. 8  
Percy sat across from Reyna as they finished their breakfast inside a little bistro in the city of New Rome. Reyna had told him bits and pieces of her life growing up on Circe’s Island and her split with her sister while they walked around the city before sitting down to eat. Percy had kept things vague while making sure not to outright lie to her as she tried to siphon some information about his past out of him. He couldn’t really complain, he did enjoy her company. She was intelligent, tough and not to mention beautiful, making the tour of New Rome far more interesting than the one he got from Jason.  
“So, why did you really choose the fifth cohort? You must have a reason for wanting to go to the weakest cohort in the legion.” Reyna asked looking at him carefully to pick up on any tells he might give away.  
Percy smiled as he watched her doing exactly what he did when he asked someone a question.  
“There’s a challenge in being the underdog. Why join the best when I can join the worst and then help them kick the best in the ass?”  
Reyna’s eyes narrowed, “That would never happen. The first would wipe the floor with your cohort.”  
Percy laughed, “I see a lot of talking but I’ll believe it when I see it. Besides, I like Jason. He could use some help whipping them into shape.”  
Reyna smiled awkwardly, “Yes, Centurion Jason is a good legionnaire.”  
Percy raised an eyebrow and smirked a bit, “You two seem tight.”  
Reyna pursed her lips, “He is a friend. I am not here to find a date. I am here to train and help defend this city and my people.”  
Percy smirked, “And yet here you are, on a date with a charming son of Venus on only his second day in the legion. If you’re not looking for date, you’re doing a pretty poor job.”  
Reyna’s eyes widened and a hint of red tinted her cheeks before she glared at him.  
“This is not a date. I lost our fight and am holding up my end of the wager.” She said indignantly.  
Percy shrugged, “As you wish Reyna. I must thank you for keeping your end of the deal. I suppose I should get back to my cohort.” He said in a bored tone as he tossed an excessive amount of denarii on the table and stood up.  
Reyna looked down at the money then up at him confused.  
“That’s way too much to cover our breakfast.”  
Percy started to walk away, “The waitress was cute.” He said casually as he walked out of the bistro without a second glance.  
Reyna narrowed her eyes as she watched him disappear. She felt an ugly feeling creep its way inside her before she scooped up half the money left on the table and followed his lead in leaving the restaurant.  
She caught up to him outside as he made his way out of the city. She shoved the money into his hand making him smirk slightly as he turned to look at her.  
“I thought you said you weren’t interested?”  
Reyna’s face turned a funny shade of red, “I’m not. That was just a waste of money. The waitress is most likely a legacy of Venus and one of your relatives anyway.”  
Percy rolled his eyes before his hand shot out and stopped a faun running past. He shoved the money into the wide eyed nature spirit’s hands.  
“Go buy yourself a good breakfast.”  
The faun stared at the denarii in shock but Percy started to walk away before he could even respond. Reyna followed as she just stared at ‘Jack’ making him chuckle.  
“I doubt he was a legacy of Venus.” He said dryly before resuming his walk.  
“You are insufferable Vidar!” She snapped back as she tried to walk away.  
Percy snatched her hand in his to stop her. She turned to look at him with narrowed eyes but he just smiled in response.  
“I meant no offense Reyna. My family is quite well off and I thought the faun would have better use for the money than me.”  
Reyna continued to glare at him until she realized he was still holding her hand before she pulled it from his grasp.  
“We need to get back to the barracks. The day will start soon and our absences will raise questions.”   
‘Jack’ nodded as he turned and continued his trek back to where his cohort would soon start to wake. Reyna stared at his back for a moment as she thought about how frustrating this demigod was. He managed to get her flustered multiple times with ease, something that never happened to her. She shook her head and took off after him after vowing to figure this demigod out if it was the last thing she did.  
Line Break  
The days turned into weeks and the weeks soon into months as Percy got settled into Camp Jupiter and into life as a legionnaire. He and Jason grew a bit closer as well as Percy’s relationship with Frank; something about the awkward son of Mars just amused the hell out of Percy and it made him spend most of his free time with Frank who was more than happy to tag along with his Centurion whenever he could.  
It was night and the cohorts were all in their barracks passed out for the night after an exciting evening where Percy led Cohorts Four and Five to victory over the others in the war games. The night was filled with celebration for his cohort from which they were all sleeping soundly in their beds.  
All except ‘Jack Vidar’ who rose from his bed without a sound, slipping past his snoring comrades and out of the barracks before making his way towards the borders of the camp at a brisk walk. He slipped past the patrolling wolves and onto the beach where the Romans and their distaste for Neptune would ensure he would have privacy.  
He stood on the beach in waiting as he stared out into the sea, watching the waves lapping the shore continuously.   
“Perseus,” a stern female voice said from behind him.  
He turned around and came face to face with the three beautiful immortal women who had raised him since infancy, his own strange little family.  
“Mothers,” Percy said with a small smile. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this summoning?”  
“War approaches,” Brynhildr said seriously. “We came to see if you have acclimated to your new home and if you are ready.”  
Percy nodded, “Things are well here. I have a cohort under my command and have proven myself a worthy Roman. When the time comes, I will be ready.”  
Eir smiled fondly, “You have done well Perseus, you make your father and grandfather proud.”  
Percy smiled slightly embarrassed by the compliment before his smile vanished when he saw Sigrún’s expression.  
“What is it?”  
The immortal Valkyrie pursed his lips into a tight line, “We believe she will be here soon. It seems she found a way to leave her realm and no one will be able to stop her. The war the All-Father foresaw is coming quicker than we thought.”  
Percy frowned slightly but steeled his nerves, “And when it does I will do what I need to in order to send her back where she belongs.”   
The three immortal maidens nodded but their expressions told him the conversation wasn’t over.  
“What else?”   
“The Romans will be sending a quest.” Brynhildr explained. “A quest you will be on.”  
Percy raised an eyebrow, “I will?”  
Eir nodded, “The All-Father has foreseen it and sent us to warn you to tread carefully.”  
Percy made a go-on gesture but Eir shook her head.   
“We don’t know. Odin’s sight was blocked when he foresaw your journey.”  
Percy’s eyes widened, “How is that possible?”  
Eir just looked at him expectantly.  
“Hel? How can she even do that?”  
The Valkyrie shook her head, “We don’t know but it is not a good sign. You must be prepared to do what is necessary when the time comes.”  
Percy’s eyes widened, “You want me to reveal myself? Why? What was the point of even coming here if I was just going to reveal myself a couple months in?”  
Sigrún shook her head disapprovingly, “To gain the trust of the Roman demigods. The Olympians pay little attention to their Roman children so infiltrating their camp was a far simpler task than trying to slip into the Greek ranks. If those Greeks or Romans want to survive this war then they will have to accept you or they will all fall when Hel unleashes her worst on the world.”  
Percy listened intently to her words before he glanced out into the sea. He liked being in Camp Jupiter. It was the first place that had welcomed him in as one of their own. Revealing himself could ruin all he had worked for, the friends he had made and the respect he had gained. The thought of being cast out brought a sharp pain into his chest. He never had a real home, he never really belonged anywhere. This was the closest he had come and even if it was based on a lie, it was still something that meant something to him.  
But he also had to think about his real family, the one he had never met, only seeing his grandfather in a dream once, and what he was supposed to do, what he was destined to do in this world. He was a Norse demigod, the last of his kind and he had a duty that needed to be put in front of everything else, the honor of his father to live up to.  
He finally turned back to his three adoptive mothers and nodded, “I’ll do what is necessary, rest assured.”   
The three immortals nodded as a portal opened up on the beach which Sigrún and Brynhildr walked through before Eir paused and turned back to Percy.  
“Choose your companions wisely and you will not lose your home.” She said with a small smile.  
Percy couldn’t help but smile back. Eir had always been the kindest and gentlest of his immortal guardians, the one who he went to in times of frustration and despair.  
“Perhaps the pretty one you’ve had your eye on for a while.” Eir said with a wink before she stepped into the portal which closed behind her.  
Percy’s eyes widened before his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. He shook his head and looked around to make sure the beach was still clear. He raised his hand to the sky as thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. A small blur made its way through the air from the distance in the sea.   
He kept his hand raised as the object closed in until a bolt of lightning dropped from the sky connecting with his hand just as his fingers closed around Mjolnir.  
He felt the raw power of the godly weapon coursing through his body as lightning danced across his eyes.  
Percy grinned, “I’ve missed you baby. I think it’s time to take you out of the attic.”  
The weapons glowed for a second before it vanished from his hand as a gray bracelet appeared on his wrist, Mjolnir ready at a moment’s notice.  
Percy glanced around before he took off back towards camp at a jog, his mind racing with the information he just learned and what it would mean for him and his life in the near future.  
-x-  
Percy walked through the streets of New Rome, towards the massive temple of Jupiter. A Senate meeting had just been called and he needed to work quickly. He slipped through the crowds of people and senators making their way towards the senate house.   
He looked behind him to make sure he hadn’t missed him before turning back around and catching a teddy bear hanging from a belt in peripheral vision.  
Percy ran to his left until he came up behind Octavian before he casually strolled past him.  
“Jack!” Octavian yelled.  
Percy smirked before turning around, “Oh hey, what’s up Octavian? Heading for the Senate House too? Any idea what this meeting is for?”  
Octavian puffed out his chest a little, “Apparently there are rumors of the Titans gathering in Othrys and a possible attack on camp. I’ll have to check the auguries and see what our best course of action is.”  
Percy bit back a laugh at the frail kid’s attempts to look big and nodded looking concerned, “That is disturbing news. I’m sure the auguries will show us the best course of action on what to do next.” He said putting a hand on Octavian’s shoulder and focusing on his mind.   
Octavian’s eyes glazed over for a second before they cleared and he nodded, “Yes, I am sure they will. I assume I have your support in whatever is revealed as the best action?”  
Percy nodded seriously, “Of course. The auguries will guide us on the right path, I am positive.”  
Octavian grinned as they made their way into the Senate House. Percy took his seat next to Jason who raised an eyebrow at Percy as he saw him and Octavian make their way in together.  
“Really Jack?”  
Percy smirked, “What? The guy is harmless. I’m more concerned with that bee buzzing around your head right now than I am with Octavian.”  
Jason’s eyes widened as he jumped up warily looking for the bee before Percy started to snicker. Jason punched him hard in the chest.  
“Dude, not cool.”   
Percy smirked, “Sorry but you’re too easy.”  
Jason rolled his eyes before he settled down as Cassie stood from her Praetor’s chair in the front of the Senate.  
“It has come to our attention that the Titans are gathering forces near their base on Mount Othrys. We have gathered the Senate to discuss what action we should take if any based on this new information.”  
A number of Senators began speaking at once, all trying to have their voice heard. Percy rolled his eyes at this idiotic occurence that plagued every Senate meeting. He slowly stood up waited for the room to quiet. He caught Cassie looking at him before she stood up again.  
“ENOUGH!” She yelled over all other sounds in the room. The Senators looked at her expectantly.  
“Since Jack was the only one with courtesy to wait to speak, he has the floor.” Cassie said calmly as all eyes turned to Percy.  
“Why don’t we skip everyone telling us what they think we should do and just look to the auguries before we discuss our next course of action?”   
Cassie smiled and nodded before she turned to Octavian, “Come forth Auger so that you may see what the auguries tell you.”  
Octavian rose from his seat with a smug smile on his face. He stopped at a table in the front of the Senate before unhooking the panda pillow attached to his belt and laid it on the table. He slowly drew a dagger from his waist and raised it up before driving it into the stomach of the helpless panda with one fluid motion.  
Octavian sifted through the cottony entrails as his eyes seemed to glaze over slightly before his head snapped up.  
“A quest!” He said dramatically. “We need a quest to investigate and gather intelligence on the happenings of the Titans.”  
Cassie nodded, “Anything else?”  
Octavian gazed in the stuffing again before he nodded, “The quest must be led by a child of Venus.”  
A number of Senators and Centurions began to shout their arguments only to have Octavian drive his dagger into the table violently as they fell silent again.  
“This has been foreseen by me, legacy of Phoebus Apollo and Auger of this legion!” He yelled. “Unless you doubt the validity of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo then I suggest you remain silent.”  
Percy nudged Jason who looked shocked, “See, the little guy’s not so bad.”  
Jason frowned, “He works with the skill of his tongue not the skill of his blade. He is a poor Roman.”  
Percy shrugged, “Every population needs its warriors and its politicians. Let him have him place as a talker, in Rome, real respect is earned on the battlefield.”  
“Jack!” David yelled loudly from the front of the Senate.  
Percy’s head snapped as he realized they had called for him more than once, “Yes, Praetor, my apologies.”  
David rolled his eyes, “Seeing as you are the highest ranked child of Venus in the legion, we ask that you lead this quest.”  
Percy smiled internally, he loved the fact he could manipulate Octavian’s mind so easily.  
“It would be an honor to do my duty to protect New Rome and lead this quest. How many companions am I permitted to take?”  
David glanced at Octavian who held up two fingers.  
“Then if they will join me I will take Centurions Jason and Reyna.” Percy announced loudly.  
Cassie stood up and shook her head, “We need at least one Centurion from the Fifth Cohort here to lead your soldiers in case of an attack or battle. Choose another.”  
Percy frowned and looked around. He wasn’t going to take another Centurion, they were mostly douchebags and he needed someone he could trust and that he liked. Finally his brained clicked into place and he grinned.  
“I will take legionnaire Frank Zhang if he will join me.”  
A number of the other Centurions shouted their disagreements with his choice before David raised his hand to silence them.  
“The auguries called for Jack to lead this quest and his companions are his to choose. Centurion Reyna, will you join him on the quest?”  
Reyna stood up glancing at Percy briefly before nodding, “I will.”  
David nodded, “Good, now once we speak to legionnaire Zhang then the quest will be set. You will depart tomorrow and head for the mountain. Be wary of where you travel, your mission is to gather intelligence and report back to camp immediately. If no one has anything to add then I will called this meeting of the Senate of New Rome complete.”  
No one spoke but a few glanced at Percy with less than friendly looks.  
“Meeting dismissed.” Cassie announced, “Someone summon Zhang here so that we may find out if he is willing to join this quest.”  
Percy and Jason made their way out of the Senate House and into the streets of New Rome.  
“Sorry bro, I tried to take you along.” Percy said looking apologetically at his friend.  
“Someone does have to be here to lead the cohort.” Jason replied with a shrug before he looked curiously at his friend, “I understand Reyna but why Frank? There are a lot of more experienced and skilled legionnaires that you could take.”  
Percy nodded, “Yes there are but it seems like a good time for Frank to prove himself. Besides, Frank’s a good guy, he’ll be good company on the trip.”  
Jason was silent for a minute before he nodded, “Maybe but I hope you know what you’re doing Jack. This is no little quest; you’ll be walking into the lion’s den, trying to get a look at what might be the most dangerous place in the world right now.”  
Percy nodded as he thought about the quest and the warning from his guardians and how it could change everything for him.


	9. Well, That Was Not What I Expected

Ch. 9

Percy stood at the entrance to Camp Jupiter. He looked behind him to see Frank lumbering his way towards him with less than graceful steps. He wondered if it had been a mistake to choose Frank as his other companion. He was awkward and clumsy and showed less than stellar wits on the battlefield during their experiences together in the war games at camp.

As Frank approached him, Percy saw something that halted his previous doubts when it came to Frank. It was a genuine smile that was filled full of nervousness but also full of gratefulness. It wasn't easy for a legionnaire to get a quest at Camp Jupiter so proving their worth was often a long and difficult process. This was undoubtedly the biggest break Frank had ever gotten since learning he was demigod and while others might think themselves entitled, one look at Frank's face showed just how much he appreciated be chosen for this.

Then he also remembered the other reason he chose Frank other than to help his friend out. He trusted Frank. Since his first day and Frank's awkward introduction and greeting with the supposed son of Venus, he hadn't treated him differently because of who he thought his parents were or for how he acted in the coliseum. He judged Percy on how he acted around him, something that no one, not even Jason, had done from the start.

Jason was his other best friend since joining the legion and would have been his first choice but he was more than content with Frank as plan B.

He looked down at his wrist where the gray bracelet sat looking inconspicuous and harmless, if not a little peculiar, and he remembered the warning from his adoptive mothers. He knew his time remaining incognito was running low and Frank was one of the few people who might still give him a chance and keep his secret if he knew his reason for deceiving the Romans and entering under false pretenses. Frank may be awkward and clumsy but Percy learned he was actually quite intelligent even if he didn't often show it in fear of looking foolish or being rebuked by the other Romans. He would hopefully see why Percy did what he did and realize he had little other options.

He was broken out of his thoughts as the plump cheeked legionnaire came to a halt beside him, a look of concern etched into his features.

"Are you sure about this Jack? There's still time for you to pick someone else, someone who might be a better asset to you on this quest."

Percy's expression darkened a bit as Frank was again letting his insecurities guide the words that left his mouth.

"Frank," he said calmly. "Shut that big ass mouth of yours."

Frank looked slightly appalled by his response but Percy held up a hand to stop him from replying.

"I did not choose you out of sympathy or because you're my friend. You're a good Roman, one who only lacks the confidence needed to reach his full potential. You might be a son of Mars but I've seen you with that bow and you would give the Apollo children a run for their money any day of the week. You're smart and I trust you more than I trust anyone else in the legion. Stop acting like you don't have just as much if not more of a right than anyone else to be here. I chose you because you are who I want, someone who can cover mine and Reyna's backs in battle. What better than a skilled archer to cover us while we handle the close quarters combat? Stop doubting yourself because if you do it again I'm going to put my foot so far up your ass that you'll be spitting out my shoelaces."

Frank's eyes widened a bit but a small smile tugged at his lips.

"Alright, thank you Jack."

Percy shook his head, "Don't thank me. This isn't a trip to the amusement park. We're heading into what could be the most dangerous place on earth. Get focused Frank because one slip up and you may not make it back to camp at all. This isn't the war games, this is real. We screw up, we most likely die. I'm not trying to scare you but this isn't a reward for you, it's a responsibility and one you must take seriously."

Before Frank could respond, a new voice did.

"Finally it appears Vidar can speak in a way other than joking. His words are quite accurate Zhang, this is going to be extremely dangerous."

Frank looked at the centurion from the first cohort a little nervously before he quickly nodded his head in agreement.

"Have you been a quest before Reyna?" Frank asked curiously.

Reyna shook her head, "Not a quest but I have had enough real world experiences that I can tell the two of you that you have no idea what you're walking into."

Frank nodded and looked at Percy, "What about you? Ever been in these types of situations before?"

Percy just nodded, not wishing to elaborate.

Reyna narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Care to share some of these dangerous adventures Vidar?"

Percy turned to her with a dark look on his face, "Not particularly but given your stubbornness and dubiety to anything I say I doubt I have much of a choice. Let's get moving and I will explain on the way. This isn't story time, we need to get going."

They made their way past the borders of Camp Jupiter and towards the city of San Francisco, choosing to take a more rural route to avoid mortals in case of a monster attack. Thirty minutes into their journey, Percy caught Reyna looking at him expectantly.

He rolled his eyes, "A little while before I came to Camp Jupiter, I was in Mount Othrys. My relatives sent me to aide a group hoping to rescue the goddess Diana who had been captured by the Titan forces. A quest of a small group of her hunters and a couple random demigods were tasked with her rescue. I don't know if fighting a Titan one on one for a while is worthy of the great centurion of Cohort One, but I promise you don't know strength until you try to fight one yourself."

Percy hoped the diluted version of the events on Othrys would be enough as he glanced over to find Frank gawking at him while Reyna was looking at him suspiciously.

"Don't believe me, fine. I will prove it but when I do, it is the end of your little inquisition Centurion Reyna." Percy said coldly. "I swear on the River Styx that the words I just spoke about my experience on Mount Othrys were the truth."

Thunder rumbled overhead making a small gasp escape Frank's lips and Reyna's eyes to widen a bit. She opened her mouth to speak but Percy cut her off.

"The discussion is over. I told you what you asked. You doubted the truth to my words and thus my honor as a Roman. I don't believe I owe you anything else Reyna." Percy said in an icy tone as he turned his eyes to the front and focused on the task at hand as they made their way around the city and in the direction where they could see Mount Othrys in the distance.

They walked westward in silence. The cold tone in which Percy had spoken had put an almost nervous tension amongst the questers. Reyna stole glances at him as they walked but he kept his eyes focused ahead of him, slightly irritated at the way she constantly questioned him and the things he said.

In reality he couldn't really blame her since the majority of the things that came out his mouth were lies or partial lies but they were necessary ones.

He wasn't pretending to be a Roman just for shits and giggles.

He was doing what he could to protect them and fulfill the destiny that had been laid on his shoulders since the day of his birth. He had friends now. Good friends, the first real friends of his short life and the possibility of losing those friends put him in a foul mood. He wasn't actually even mad at Reyna but at this supposed destiny that would most likely take away the one thing he wanted most and had only just found; a place where he felt like he belonged.

They travelled for a few hours, walking around the city on this incredibly short quest. The distance between Camp Jupiter and Mount Othrys was actually extremely short. It was going to take them less than a day to make it to the outskirts of the mountain. Assuming they didn't run into any trouble they would just have to figure out how to go about approaching the mountain without walking straight to their deaths.

Just as they passed the city and were on the final stretch of fifteen miles before reaching the base of Mount Othrys, things quickly went wrong for their little quest.

Percy, who was walking a few feet ahead of Reyna and Frank, suddenly came to a stop. He slowly dropped into a crouch and looked at the surrounding area.

"Why are you stopping?" Reyna asked slightly irritated after being given the cold shoulder for the duration of the day after she simply tried to learn more about this mysterious son of the love goddess.

"We're being followed. They've been following us for the last couple miles but they're closing in now." Percy said calmly as his hand grazed his gladius before passing over it and reaching for the small key chain hooked to his belt loop.

Both Reyna and Frank looked around wildly.

"Stop." Percy growled. "We need them to think they have the element of surprise."

Frank looked on the verge of a panic attack while Reyna caught herself and calmly walked up next to 'Jack' trying to act casual.

"What is it Jack?" She asked quietly.

Percy kept a hand on his keychain as his eyes darted back and forth.

"Werewolves. I believe it's the whole pack. I count at least a dozen and they've surrounded us." He said standing up. "It's too late. They're on us. Get out your silver weapons!" He yelled as he pulled on the keychain as it materialized into a pure silver sword that shined brightly in the late afternoon sun.

Reyna's eyes widened slightly as she reached for her hunting knives but paused for a second when she saw the sword in 'Jack's' hands, trying to remember why it seemed so familiar to her.

Before she could think any more about it, a werewolf burst out of the trees and right at them. Percy turned to defend himself when the monster yelped in pain before dissolving into golden dust. A silver arrow lay in the pile of monster dust as Percy's eyes turned to Frank who already had another arrow notched and ready as his eyes darted all around looking for another target.

Percy ran at Frank, the sight of the bushes behind him moving slightly alerted him to the attack as he closed the distance just as a second wolf lunged at Frank's back.

Percy hit the ground, going into a baseball slide right past Frank before he dug his front foot into the earth making him shoot upwards where he drove his blade straight into the underbelly of the lunging monster just as it reached Frank.

Percy let his momentum carry him as he drove the beast straight into the ground before ripping his blade out as the monster dissolved.

Frank's eyes widened as he watched his friend undoubtedly save his life before he whirled around, releasing his notched arrow as it whizzed past Reyna's head and straight into the forehead of the werewolf stalking towards her.

Frank notched another arrow but was knocked to the ground as a second wolf lunged out from behind him at the same time one lunged at Percy. The beast raked its claws across Frank's back, opening up a number of deep gashes. The wolf opened its mouth to clamp onto the back of Frank's neck when it suddenly yelped and jumped off as Reyna sliced her silver blade across the beast's front legs.

Percy dispatched his attacker and turned to find Frank on the ground bleeding and Reyna standing over him as a wounded wolf slunk back into the woods. Percy turned around as he backtracked to where Reyna was standing until the two stood with their backs facing each other and Frank's injured body between them as they watched the woods all around them waiting for the next attack.

The woods were silent though. No branches moved, no bushes rustled making Reyna wonder if the attack was over and they had won. Before she could speak though, a single ragged looking man stepped out of the woods. He was tall, over six feet and his body was slim yet he looked dangerous in a primal animalistic type of way, like he would bite out your throat if he needed to without hesitation. Then Reyna saw the fangs as he realized exactly who this scar marred face belonged to. The thought sent a shiver of fear through the female demigod's spine.

"Lycaon," Reyna spat. "Lupa will make you pay for this."

Lycaon gave a fanged smile of amusement, "I doubt that little bitch and her pack of mutts will be coming anywhere near Mount Othrys when she learns what became of her little demigods."

Percy narrowed his eyes a bit, "You're making a mistake right now. I suggest you leave now before you force me to do something that's going to make me very angry. You're not going to like what happens when I get angry."

Lycaon looked at Percy for the first time, smiling at his words at first before the smile vanished. He took a step closer taking a deep breath through his nose as he looked closely at 'Jack'. His eyes widened slightly, "YOU!" He snarled. "I'm going to enjoy feasting on your flesh boy."

Percy's hand drifted to his bracelet as Lycaon looked murderous. He opened his mouth to speak again when his face suddenly went slack. He tilted his head to the side as if listening to some voice that only he could hear. After a moment he turned back to the three demigods.

"My mistress wishes to play with you three some more before I can devour you. You should spend your remaining hours wisely as if you somehow survive what is in store for you then I will be back to finish what I started." He sneered at them before slipping back into the treeline.

Once the werewolf king was gone, Percy whirled around and knelt down next to Frank whose shirt was soaked in blood from the gaping wounds from the wolf claws.

"Cut off his shirt." Percy ordered not even looking up at Reyna as he began to dig into his pack for supplies.

Reyna ignored all the questions racing through her mind and set to work, carefully cutting Frank's shirt off and avoiding his wounds. Once the garment was cut and she got a good look at the wounds she knew he didn't have much of a shot of surviving based on how much blood he lost and the fact they didn't have a healer to close the wounds for him.

Percy turned back around and paled a bit when he saw Frank's back. He looked up at Reyna whose expression wasn't hopeful before he shook it off and set to work.

He opened up a flask and poured a little nectar on each of the gashes, stemming the blood loss for a moment and giving him a chance to work.

"Put your dagger hilt in his mouth. This is going to be painful." Percy ordered as Frank slipped in and out of consciousness.

Reyna's eyes widened a bit before she pulled out her dagger and forced the hilt into the groggy demigod's mouth. She looked up at 'Jack' to find him threading a needle as she realized what it was he was planning to do.

"Do you know what you're doing?"

Percy didn't acknowledge her question as he pulled out a lighter and put the flame to the needle for a moment. When he pulled it away he looked down at Frank's wound nervously.

"Just bear with me Frank, I'll put you back together but you've got to lay still."

Using his left hand to steady the stocky son of Mar's back, he carefully set to work. Frank for his part took it well, putting the dagger hilt to good use as he bit down while his friend slowly stitched his wounds back together one at a time.

Reyna watched the son of Venus work in slight awe as he stitched up the wounds flawlessly. It took nearly thirty minutes for Percy to close all the gashes, beads of sweat were visible on his face by the time he was finished. He looked down at his work and approved of the job he had done. He reached into his pack again before looking at the back of Frank's head with pity.

"If I were you I'd bite down hard right now."

Frank's head lifted a bit as he tried to look back at 'Jack' but before he could turn, a cold liquid was poured on his wounds making him bite down so hard he thought his teeth would break. His screams of agony were muffled as the alcohol seeped into the fresh wounds. After a minute, a second liquid was poured on them as well. One that made Frank sigh with relief and relax so much the dagger fell from his mouth as the nectar soothed his searing wounds.

After a moment Percy pulled something else out of his pack before he knelt down near Frank's head, "Reyna help me. I need to bandage him but we need him sitting up and we need to be careful he doesn't rip his stitches."

Reyna knelt on the other side of Frank as she and 'Jack' slowly raised the demigod up so he was seated on his butt.

"Raise your hands." Percy ordered. As soon as Frank complied, Percy began to wrap the bandage around his torso. When he finished, Frank's eyes drooped a bit.

"I feel tired."

Percy smiled, "You should; that's no ordinary bandage. It's soaked in nectar and a sedative. It's going to make you sleep like the big Asian baby you are and heal your wounds overnight while you sleep. Relax Frank, by morning you'll be good as new and we can resume this quest."

Frank's eyes were barely open but he managed to reach out and grab Percy by the shirt pulling him a little closer.

"Jack. I need to tell you something." He said tiredly. "Before you came to camp, I hated Rome. I hated everything about being a demigod. The other legionnaires, they mocked me and shunned me because I was an archer when I should have been a warrior like my brothers and sisters. But you, you changed things for me." Frank said in a slightly slurred voice as he struggled to stay awake. "You're a good friend Jack. My best friend. I want you to know that if I needed to I would give my life for you. Maybe you're not by blood but I want you to know, you are my brother... You're... You... You..." He trailed off as his words were replaced by quiet snores as his hand slipped off Percy's shirt and Percy gently laid him down on the ground.

"I feel the same way buddy, you rest and heal up." Percy said quietly before standing up.

Reyna was staring at him still in a bit of awe. She had never seen this side of Jack. He was always cracking jokes or making puns but this side of him, it was so different. His healing skills were on par with the children of Apollo and the way Frank spoke to him, it was the way a soldier spoke to a true leader. Someone he would follow to the ends of the Earth based on nothing else but pure trust and respect.

Her thoughts were broken when Percy began digging into his pack again. He pulled out two small folded up squares before he tossed them on the ground. The moment they hit the ground, the exploded into tents making Reyna gasp.

"Whoa, how did you do that?"

Percy smiled, "A gift from the relatives that raised me. They are enchanted tents. They are bigger on the inside too. I brought one for you and one for me and Frank to share. Why don't you drag Frank into one while I set up defensive perimeter?"

Reyna raised an eyebrow until she saw him pull out two thin coils of wires, one silver and one gold.

"What are those?" She asked confused.

"Our perimeter." He said simply. "Silver and Imperial Gold. I'm going to set up trip wires in a square around our camp. If we get any unwanted visits from monsters or werewolves during the night then we'll have enough time to at least be ready for them."

Reyna stared at him for a moment, "You brought all this stuff? This wasn't even supposed to take more than a day."

"Nothing ever goes as planned when dealing with monsters. I assumed we'd run into trouble so I made sure I had enough supplies for a several day trip in case things got complicated."

Reyna nodded numbly but before she could speak again he turned and slipped into the woods to set up the perimeter. Reyna shook her head and turned to Frank who was sleeping peacefully on the ground.

"Perhaps you were much smarter than me Zhang; I think I judged Jack a little too quickly." She said quietly as she dragged the slumbering demigod into one of the tents before trekking into the surrounding woods in search of wood for a fire.

-x-

Reyna sat across the small fire she had built as Jack finished off the last of his dinner, one he had brought and cooked for both of them. She watched him closely. She had a number of things she wanted to ask him but wasn't sure where to start. Normally she would just ask and then glare her way into getting the answers she wanted. This demigod was different though. He simply did not fear her at all. It was a foreign feeling but something she liked about him, finally someone who wouldn't let himself be pushed around by her. She internally groaned as she knew the only way she might get answers would be to start with an apology for the way she had treated him since he first walked into Camp Jupiter.

"I think I owe you an apology. It's just..." She started before he raised his hand to stop her.

"Please don't. I do not need an apology Reyna. I promise nothing you've said or done has changed my opinion of you."

Reyna was slightly confused by his answer. She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. She decided to ask some of her questions anyway.

"Regardless I should not have doubted your word. You're a Roman and we Romans do not lie to each other. I was just surprised at some of the things you did before even coming to the legion."

Percy sighed and tossed his paper plate into the fire, "Alright just ask. I can only assume if you're apologizing it's because you want answers. Just ask them so we can get this over with."

She was slightly annoyed by his response but got up from her seat and moved onto a log closer to him so she could ask her questions face to face.

"How were you on a quest to save Diana if you weren't even in the legion yet? How did you even know she was captured?"

He nodded albeit he looked uninterested in explaining, "A few years ago I came across one of her hunters being assaulted by some mortals. I intervened and afterword my relatives and Diana spoke before we parted ways. When she was captured I was sent to aide in rescuing her by the relatives who raised me."

Reyna nodded slowly, "Are your relatives demigods?"

"They are indeed the offspring of gods." He said back knowing the answer was not a lie.

"So why come to Camp Jupiter?"

Percy turned and looked into the fire as its small blaze consumed the last of the firewood. He didn't respond immediately making Reyna think he was ignoring her. Before she could snap at him, he turned back to her.

"Have you ever wanted a place where you truly belonged, a place you could call home? My relatives are amazing and I love them dearly but growing up with them wasn't the same. They trained me since I took my first step because they know what kind of life we demigods are forced to live. I owe them so much for doing that for me but I never had a chance to make real friends. I was home schooled, so I never saw other kids my age. It was just me and them and while I know they love me and me them, it wasn't enough. They sent me to camp because they knew it was where I needed to be, with my own kind. Now I have the first two real true friends of my life in Jason and Frank. You seem to think I have this hidden agenda but I don't. I'm honestly here because this is where I want to be and I will do whatever I have to to keep it safe; to protect Camp Jupiter until my final breath if I must."

Reyna listened intently and could hear the genuineness in his voice when he spoke about the things he wanted. Her own thoughts drifted to growing up on Circe's Island and that same feeling she had when she lost it, how she longed for another home. She remembered how she felt when she found one in the legion and knew what he meant by being willing to do anything he had to in order to protect it.

She looked back at 'Jack' to find him staring at the fire again, a faraway look in his eyes. She slid off her log and onto his bringing his eyes back to her again.

"I do know that feeling, more than you might know. I am sorry for the way I have questioned you. I had no right to doubt your words and for that I apologize."

'Jack' gave her a small smile, "Like I said, no need to apologize, there is nothing to forgive. I can only imagine how my little jokes must have looked when we met. I tend to crack more jokes than I should but you should know that I can be serious when I must. I just enjoy making people laugh sometimes, almost as much as I love to mock the arrogant people who think themselves above everyone else."

"Is that why you kissed me in front of the legion? To mock me because I act like I'm better than others?" She asked but her voice wasn't full of anger. Instead it was slightly nervous with a touch of shame at the thought of her being like the centurion from cohort two.

Percy let out a little laugh and shook his head, "I kissed you because I thought you were beautiful and I figured that was the only chance I would get. You don't act like some of those dicks from the second. You carry yourself with dignity and there is nothing wrong with that."

Reyna couldn't help but blush at little at being called beautiful before she smiled a bit when he said she wasn't like the others. She looked up at Jack again and noticed he was trying not to laugh at her red cheeks. She tried to glare at him but found it only made his smile grow a little. He leaned a little closer to her which brought even more blood to her cheeks.

"You know, we should probably get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, one that could easily be our last ones on this earth." He whispered softly, his face still close to hers.

Reyna felt an unfamiliar feeling as she looked into his eyes, their faces so close to each other. At first she didn't recognize it but then she realized she was nervous.

"Yes, we should. We should get an early start tomorrow." She said back softly unsure why she wasn't moving away. This wasn't like her. This demigod had her flustered and she honestly wasn't sure what to do.

Percy's smile grew a little more as their faces were now only inches apart. She could feel his breath on her face. Her mind was telling her to just stand up but it seemed her body had no desire to comply with its wishes. She didn't know what she was doing but she just went with what felt right.

Without warning, she closed the last few inches between them and pressed her lips to his. She knew this was not like her but at the moment she didn't care. In this moment, it felt right and she wasn't going to argue right now as his hand came up and landed softly on her cheek. The kiss deepened a little as Reyna's hand found its way into his messy dark hair. She felt his tongue gently on her lips she involuntarily opened her mouth as she lost herself in the moment, her other hand finding its way into his hair as well and she pulled him closer.

The need for oxygen forced them to grudgingly break apart but they never broke eye contact, neither able to deny the intensity of what had just happened. Percy opened his mouth to speak when the sound of wires snapping and something crashing to the ground caused them both to shoot to their feet, their eyes immediately going to the woods behind them where the sound came from.

Out of the woods emerged a creature that made Reyna gasp and Percy to curse loudly as he realized how utterly screwed he was.


	10. Hey! I Remember Your Ass!

Ch. 10

Last Chapter….

Without warning, she closed the last few inches between them and pressed her lips to his. She knew this was not like her but at the moment she didn't care. In this moment, it felt right and she wasn't going to argue right now as his hand came up and landed softly on her cheek. The kiss deepened a little as Reyna's hand found its way into his messy dark hair. She felt his tongue gently on her lips she involuntarily opened her mouth as she lost herself in the moment, her other hand finding its way into his hair as well and she pulled him closer.

The need for oxygen forced them to grudgingly break apart but they never broke eye contact, neither able to deny the intensity of what had just happened. Percy opened his mouth to speak when the sound of wires snapping and something crashing to the ground caused them both to shoot to their feet, their eyes immediately going to the woods behind them where the sound came from.

Out of the woods emerged a creature that made Reyna gasp and Percy to curse loudly as he realized how utterly screwed he was.

Now….

Percy put himself in between Reyna and the creature as he backed up a bit forcing her to do the same.

"What in the name of the gods is that?" Reyna asked nervously as she looked at the vaguely humanoid creature gawking at them from a dozen yards away.

Percy let out a humorless laugh, "Funny you should mention those gods, I don't think the Olympians would know much about this one."

Reyna was confused by his response. She stepped out from behind him and drew her gladius.

"I don't care what it is, it's going to die now."

"Reyna don't," Percy warned. "You don't know what you're doing. This isn't a monster you know how to fight."

"If it can bleed, then it can die." Reyna replied stepping towards the monster as it stalked forward.

"Don't!" Percy yelled as a huge gust of wind came in and knocked the Roman demigoddess right off her feet.

She looked up from her back to see 'Jack' with a pained expression on his face. He looked at her apologetically, "I am sorry about this but I don't have a choice anymore."

Reyna's face twisted into a confused expression as 'Jack' chanted a few words in a strange language. The air around him seemed to shimmer a bit before she gasped. There stood the teen she had met years earlier with Jason, the one that had saved them from Lycaon only to disappear never to be seen again; the teen she had never forgotten since that fateful day when he proclaimed they would need him on day. She noticed how this Perseus and Jack did look slightly similar now that she saw him again. His hair was darker and his eyes were a bright blue but instead of whites, his sclera were tinted yellow making his eyes all that more terrifying and appealing at the same time.

His face looked upset as he looked at her before it turned angry as he turned to the monster.

"So, the son of Thor comes out of the hiding." It grunted gruffly.

Percy's hand went to his bracelet as Mjolnir appeared his hand. Thunder rumbled loudly overhead and lightning flashed across the skies lighting up the starless night. A bolt of lightning dropped from the sky making Reyna gasp when it hit Percy but when the bright light vanished, he stood unharmed but now decked out in strange looking armor.

"Grendel, I believe," he growled back. "Hel brought you back did she? Then I suppose I will have to rectify that now, won't I?"

Grendel gave an amused grin before charging at the last child of Asgard. Percy hurled Mjolnir at the beast but Grendel dropped to the ground as it flew over him harmlessly before he jumped to his feet resuming his charge.

Percy smiled evilly Grendel closed in on him. He was about to lunge at the demigod when Mjolnir cracked the large gremlin like creature in the back sending him stumbling towards Percy who stepped aside, his hand reaching out as Mjolnir flew back to him.

Grendel crashed hard to the ground as Percy raised his hammer to attack again when a scream stopped him in his tracks. He turned to Reyna to see her being held by the hair by an even larger looking monster.

Percy eyes widened in realization and he cursed loudly.

"Damn it. Grendel and his mother. I should have known that." He growled at himself.

"I would drop that weapon son of lightning." The creature hissed at him.

Percy narrowed his eyes but glanced at Reyna who still had her gladius gripped tightly in her left hand. He dropped Mjolnir as he stared at her, shaking his head slightly, pleading for her to not do anything but the stubborn daughter of Bellona twisted around and drove the blade straight into the monster's stomach.

Reyna's eyes widened in disbelief when the weapon passed through the creature harmlessly.

Grendel's mother looked down at the weapon and smiled evilly as she yanked Reyna up off the ground by the hair.

"That wasn't very nice little girl. I think you need to be punished!"

Percy panicked. He glanced to see Grendel making his way up to his feet again while his mother had her fangs barred as Reyna tried to struggle but it was useless. He looked around as he felt his entire world crashing down. He was about to lose the first girl he ever kissed and one of his only friends and he was powerless to stop it.

As if responding to his sense of mind, thunder cracked overhead so loudly the very ground seemed to shake making Grendel and his mother stumble, the latter losing her grip on Reyna's hair as she fell roughly to the ground. Percy looked at the sky in shock, unsure of what exactly had just happened.

Despite his confusion, Percy didn't hesitate as his hand shot up, Mjolnir flew into it just as it reached its peak as Percy took one step forward and hurled the mighty hammer at the still disoriented monster. The weapon caught the monster in the chin and sent her flying backwards landing in a heap.

Before he could turn the Norse demigod was smacked hard from behind and sent flying into a tree a few feet away, Mjolnir slipping from his grasp when he collided. His armor protected him well but the impact left him slightly woozy. His eyes came back into focus just in time to find the monstrous ogre standing over him. He tried to roll aside but Grendel snatched him up by the armor and tossed to the left where he slammed into another tree.

Percy rolled over, his left arm bent in an unnatural direction. The son of Thor gritted his teeth and put his knee on his hand before jerked his arm to the left and snapping the bone back into place as he let out an agonized scream. He looked up to see a giant foot slam into his chest and send his sliding across the ground.

His mouth filled with the taste of his own blood and he knew he wasn't going to last much longer unless he somehow turned the tables.

He glanced up at Grendel who stood over him before the ogre raised its giant foot to stomp the demigod into the ground. As he prepared to roll the side, the monster grunted in pain and stumbled to his left as a large rock clocked him upside the head.

Percy looked up at Reyna who was searching for another large rock to use as a weapon, unaware of Grendel's mother stalking up behind her. Percy glanced around as saw Mjolnir a few yards away.

Grendel lumbered towards him again as Percy snatched up a handful of loose dirt and tossed it into the monster's eyes sending him staggering back temporarily blinded. The Norse demigod's hand shot up as Mjolnir answered his call, flying into his hand before Percy hurled it towards Reyna whose eyes went wide.

The might hammer of Thor flew over her head and caught the female ogre in the jaw for a second time, sending her to the ground in another heap.

Percy spun, holding his hand out behind him as Grendel cleared his vision and lunged at him. Percy dove forward just as Mjolnir hit his hand. He somersaulted forward, jumping to his feet again now behind the monster and swung Mjolnir with all he had, slamming it into the back Grendel's knee sending him to the ground with a sickening crunch of his knee. Grendel bellowed in agony as he looked down at his now disfigured knee before looking up and turning pale at what he found.

Percy stood over him and raised Mjolnir as clouds filled the night sky. Lightning flashed before a monstrous bolt dropped from the sky, connecting with the godly weapon as Percy drove the weapon into the chest of Grendel lighting up the area in a blinding light. When the light and dust cleared, Grendel was reduced to a pile of ashes.

Percy's head snapped to the monster's mother who was slowly coming to a few feet behind where Reyna was just staring at him with an unreadable expression. The look on her face broke his heart as he thought about everything he was going to lose now that she knew who he was; everything he worked for, the trust of the Romans, his friends Frank and Jason and what he had hoped would be a chance to get to know Reyna better.

His eyes moved from Reyna to the monster as his sorrow turned to anger and then rage. He stalked towards the monster with lightning dancing across his eyes.

"You will regret coming here, I promise you that." He growled at her as she finally seemed to come to and saw the son of Thor standing over her with Mjolnir in his hand as pure hatred in his eyes.

"We didn't have a choice. She made us." The monster pleaded.

Percy's eyes flashed and sparks danced off his skin.

"And now I will show you how much of as mistake that truly was."

He raised Mjolnir and the monster turned its head expecting death but screamed in agony as Mjolnir slammed into her knee with a sickening crunch.

"I had a home here!" Percy snarled raising his arm again and slamming the weapon into her other leg. "I had friends!" He yelled before crushing her arm she tried to raise it to defend herself. "And now I have nothing because of you and this stupid war! Hel will pay for this just as you will pay for it now!" He said raising the weapon up again. Thunder cracked so loudly overhead that Reyna flinched from her spot behind him before she watched him bring it down on the monster's head flattening it to the ground as blood, bones and brain shot out in every direction before the monster dissolved at last.

Percy stood over the spot where the monster had been lying breathing heavily as his anger and rage slowly started to subside. He knew what was waiting behind him but refused to turn around and face it knowing how much it was going to hurt.

After a moment he gathered his courage and turned around to face the inevitable.

Reyna was just staring at him. Her face didn't give away any emotion. She just stared, not saying a word as he waited for her to gather herself again.

After a minute her eyes narrowed, "You. I remember you. You saved Jason and I years ago from Lycaon and his pack. This is what he meant when he recognized you."

Percy just nodded but didn't reply. He wasn't sure if she would even let him explain but he waited for her to continue.

Reyna glared for another minute before she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Why?"

Percy shook his head, "Why what?"

Reyna's grip on her gladius tightened as she held it at her side.

"Why the lies? Why deceive us? Make up this fake identity to infiltrate our camp? Are you an enemy?"

Percy shook his head, "I had no other options. What I told you about my experience on Mount Othrys wasn't the whole truth."

Reyna stayed in her spot and just looked at him expectantly.

"This is going to be hard for you to understand Reyna. The gods of Olympus have been keeping a secret from you for a long time. If you wish to know the truth I will tell you but the answer is not likely to be one you like."

Reyna didn't waver and continued looking at him with her gladius still gripped tightly.

"When I was on Mount Othrys, I did not rescue the goddess Diana." He began as Reyna narrowed her eyes. "I rescued the goddess Artemis."

Reyna's expression turned confused, "What?"

"The gods, they have a secret." He explained. "They have two aspects. A Greek one and a Roman one."

Reyna's eyes widened but he continued before she could interrupt.

"They are the same gods but they aren't. It's like they have split personalities, a Greek one and a Roman one. And both sides make demigods. Across the country is another camp, a camp full of Greek demigods."

"Impossible." Reyna interjected. "We would know about them."

Percy shook his head, "During the American Civil War, it wasn't just North versus South. It was Greeks versus Romans as well and it was bloody. Hundreds of demigods were killed and even more injured badly. After the war, the gods wiped the minds of both sides and have taken great effort in making sure the two groups don't know about each other. When I was on Othrys, it was with two Greek demigods and two hunters and we rescued Diana in her Greek aspect Artemis. After she was rescued, I went to Olympus with the goddess."

Reyna's face was a little pale but she regained her composure, "How does this explain why you lied to us?"

"I wasn't finished. When I got to Olympus things did not go well. When Jupiter or in that case Zeus got a look at my weapon he demanded I give it to him. I set it on the ground and told him if he wanted it he could take it. When he could not lift the weapon, he became enraged and tried to kill me with his master bolt. Things kind of escalated when it didn't work so I fled. I didn't know what to do. I am on this world because the mistress Lycaon spoke of is the Norse goddess Hel. She is going to try to take this world over. My family is cut off from the world but I am supposed to be destined to be maybe be able to stop her. I was lost until I remembered you. I knew the gods paid far less attention to their Roman children so I entered camp as one so I could join the fight and not have to deal with Zeus until as late as possible." Percy explained hoping she would understand his reasons.

Reyna shook her head, "What do you mean Jupiter couldn't lift your hammer? Of course he could if you can."

Percy sighed and dropped Mjolnir on the ground. "Pick it up."

Reyna looked wary but Percy just sighed, "Please, just humor me."

Reyna hesitated for a minute before reaching down to pick it up. She was shocked to find it unimaginably heavy. She tried using two hands but the weapon did not budge, only increasing her frustrations.

"What does this prove? I am obviously not as strong as a god!"

Percy nodded, "Okay, now try again, please."

Reyna looked irritated but reached down with one hand to try. She almost fell on her butt as the weapon felt as light as a feather. She looked at it confused before turning to Percy, "Explain!"

He nodded, "In your hands is my father's godly weapon Mjolnir, the most powerful weapon ever in existence. Before my father was forced to leave Earth, he left this with me. It is mine now and it does as I wish it. If I want you to be able to wield it, you will. If not, then not even the King of the Gods can move it an inch."

Reyna looked at the weapon in her hands in awe, "You have the weapon of a god?"

He nodded slowly, "I've never met my father but I suppose he must care for me a lot if he was willing to part with his most prized possession just to aide me on Earth."

Reyna looked at for another minute before tossing it at Percy's feet. Before the weapon could touch the ground, Percy opened his hand as it flew back to its master before glowing faintly and reappearing as a bracelet on his wrist again.

"So what, all those things you said were so we would accept you? That you wanted a place where you belonged?" Reyna asked harshly.

Percy shook his head, "Other than my parentage and family life, I have never lied to you. Or to Frank or to Jason. I wish this war would never start, I would give anything to go back to Camp Jupiter and live my life as a Roman demigod."

Reyna's face was expressionless as she stood silently. Percy wasn't exactly sure what to do but after a minute he assumed she wasn't going to let this slide. He held out his hand as Mjolnir reappeared in it before looking Reyna apologetically.

"I never wanted to lie to any of you but I didn't have a choice. Where is a Norse demigod supposed to go when he is the only of his kind in existence? Bring Frank back to camp. I will deal with Hel and whoever else is on Mount Othrys."

Reyna looked at him oddly as he raised Mjolnir above his head. Her eyes widened when he shot up into the sky without so much as a gust of wind to propel him.

"HEY! WAIT! I WASN'T DONE TALKING!" She screamed loudly but he had already gotten out of sight in starless night sky.

Reyna cursed loudly in Latin. This was not how she wanted the conversation to end. Now he was gone and she was stuck alone with Frank and no idea what they should do next. She turned towards Frank's tent when a thud behind her caused her to whirl around with her gladius out. She froze when she saw it was Percy again.

"What else would you like to ask or are you going to try and kill me? I wouldn't hurt you but I won't allow myself to be killed either. I am stuck here in this wretched realm to do one thing and one thing alone, kill Hel and then perhaps I can find a way back to my family."

Reyna looked at him with an irritated expression, "So what? I get mad and you run off to get yourself killed in the middle of the Titan's base? Are you honestly that stupid or were you just trying to make a point?"

Percy raised an eyebrow, "What would you have me do? I'm not a Roman so I'm no longer welcome in Camp Jupiter. I am not going with those foolish Greeks either. I have a duty to live up to the name of my father. I can't just…."

"Will you please shut up for a minute!" She interrupted with a growl. Percy's eyes widened a bit but he nodded nonetheless.

"When we first met those years ago when you helped Jason and I from Lycaon and his pack of wolves, you said one day we would need you. If that's true then why are you running away?"

Percy's face had a look of confusion, "I just assumed you would want me to go since you know who I really am. I mean I can't really go back to New Rome, they'll execute me for being a spy or something."

"Yes they would," Reyna agreed. "If they found out who you really are. But since I'm the only one who knows, then I don't see why that's going to be a problem."

Percy's eyes widened, "You would keep my secret?"

Reyna's face had no sign of happiness but she nodded, "I believe you when you say you are here to help. If you truly are destined to beat this Norse goddess then it would not be wise of me to send you away now, would it?"

"I can't ask you to do that, it's too much to ask of you."

Reyna rolled her eyes, "I'm doing it for the legion not for you."

Percy didn't reply right away causing Reyna to become impatient. After a moment, he nodded, "Thank you Reyna."

She nodded but her face was still serious, "What you said to me, that was because you were trying to gain my trust so you could stay in camp, correct?"

Percy frowned a bit, "That I think you're beautiful and that kiss? I would not do that just to gain your trust. I did it because I meant it and I wanted to."

Reyna narrowed her eyes a bit and stepped closer, closing the distance between them until they were face to face. Reyna leaned a little closer making Percy smile he was about to get kissed again.

Before he could even try Reyna drove her knee into his groin dropping him to the ground gasping for breath.

"You lie to me again and it won't be my knee hitting you in the junk." She growled.

Percy nodded from the ground, his hands clutching his groin as he tried to catch his breath, "Noted."

Reyna smirked, "Good, now get up, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." She said offering him a hand.

Percy took it as she pulled him to his feet. He took a deep breath and nodded, "I am sorry for lying to you. I hated doing that."

Reyna nodded her head stiffly, "Why did my weapon pass through that monster as if they were air? It was a monster and Imperial Gold should be able to kill it, right?"

Percy shook his head, "But it's not a Greek or Roman monster. It was a Norse monster, they were killed by the Norse hero Beowulf many centuries ago but Hel is like the Norse version of Hades and thus can bring monsters like that into this world through whatever means she got to this realm. To kill a Norse monster, you need a weapon made from Uru metal, which is kind of like our version of Imperial Gold."

"Then what are we supposed to do? Let you fight every monster she throws at us?"

Percy shook his head as his hand went to his belt loop and to the keychain beside his silver sword. He unhooked the key chain and held it out of Reyna who took it with confusion. It was a tiny keychain of a sword. She looked back up at Percy who winked as the keychain elongated into a three foot long sword colored terrifying black with different Asgardian runes emblazoned on the blade and the leather hilt.

Reyna eyed it in awe for a moment before looking at Percy to explain.

"That is the first sword my adoptive mothers gave me. It was a gift to my mother Eir from the Norse God of War, Tyr. He gave it to her as a gift for bringing one of his sons to Vahalla to become a einherjar."

Reyna stared at him with wide eyes, "Um, what? You were raised by Valkyries?"

He nodded, "My grandfather Odin, King of the Norse Gods, asked for three volunteers to give up their lives and raise me here on Midgard after my mother passed giving birth to me. Eir, Brynhildr, and Sigrún volunteered for the job and since I could first walk, they have raised me and trained me to be the best I could be."

"Those were the relatives you said that raised you?"

Percy nodded, "They have sacrificed much for me, something I can never repay them for."

Reyna's eyes turned back to the beautiful sword held in her hands. He held it out to Percy, "I cannot take this, it was given to you by one of your guardians."

Percy gently pushed the sword back towards her, "Eir gave it to me when I was a small child but before I came to camp, she said if I found someone I truly trusted that I should pass it on to them."

Reyna looked down at the sword and then back at Percy, "And you want to give it to me?"

He shrugged, "Well Octavian isn't here so you'll have to be my plan B."

Reyna glared at him but he just cracked a small smile causing her glare to falter. She shook her head, "You drive me crazy sometimes Ja…." She paused. "You're name was Perseus, right?"

Percy nodded, "Yeah but you can call me Percy if you want. Percy Jackson in case you were wondering. My mortal mother's name was Sally Jackson before she passed so that makes me a Jackson. Not very Norse I guess but she must have been something special to catch the eye of my father who almost never had demigods while he was here."

Reyna nodded before she glanced at the tent in which Frank was still sleeping peacefully, "And what about Zhang? What happens if we come across more Norse monsters?"

Percy sighed, "I just have to hope he is willing to accept me like you have. He's been my best friend in camp, I just have to hope he'll forgive me for the lies."

Reyna face softened just the slightest, "He cares for you a great deal. You have made his life a lot better since coming to the legion, I think he will understand."

He glanced at Frank's tent and nodded, "We'll see." He said before looking back at Reyna with a serious expression, "And what about you? I know you'll keep my secret but do you understand why I had to do it?"

Reyna was quiet for a minute as she thought about how to answer.

"I can see you didn't have many options and coming to Rome was your best chance to stay off the gods' radar while also being in the middle of the war. I can understand."

Percy smiled, "Thank you."

Reyna nodded her head stiffly before she grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the tents. She shoved him towards his tent.

"Now sleep Centurion. That's an order."

Percy smiled a bit, "As you wish my lady."

Reyna rolled her eyes and climbed into her tent as Percy did the same unaware that Reyna's face had the same smile that his did as they both retired for the night. Percy looked at Frank's slumbering form and smiled a bit that he hadn't lost his friends or his home, at least not yet anyway.


	11. Deception

Ch. 11

Frank felt his hand slowly losing its grip on Jack's shirt as he tried to get the final words out, trying to tell his best friend exactly how much he meant to him. But Frank lost his battle with drowsiness as everything around him began to fade until his vision went completely dark.

As soon as it had come, the darkness vanished and Frank suddenly found himself in the middle of a large room with blood colored walls - a crimson that ironically made the son of Mars flinch - and it was decorated in a dark and gloomy, almost disconcerting way. He noticed the room was decorated with depictions of death before Frank's eyes widened as he assumed he was somehow in the throne room of Lord Pluto himself.

"Close but not quite, son of Rome." A feminine voice said from behind Frank, making him nearly jump out of his skin. The chubby cheeked demigod slowly turned around to find a beautiful woman seated on a throne of bones with an excessively large hound at her side as her hand stroked its head slowly. Frank was not intimidated by that nice, big, friendly dog. Nope. Not. At. All. Gulp.

His gaze turned to the woman, and as he stared at the woman seated on her throne more closely (he squinted so hard - making sure his eyes weren't failing him - that he probably broke the world with all that squinting), until Frank's eyes widened. Her body seemed to come into focus and it was terrifying in its true form. Half woman and half skeleton, her body didn't look capable of housing a living being with her entire left side was nothing more than bones and it literally made Frank want to crawl into a hole and hide for dear life rather than be in her eerie presence.

"W…W…Who are you?" He asked timidly, shuffling on his feet.

The woman smiled wryly, "I am Hel, Goddess of Niflheim, or the Underworld as you would call it, and Queen of my realm and all my subjects."

Frank looked perplexed and still petrified but the goddess continued to explain before he could ask.

"I am a Norse goddess, the daughter of Loki and Angrboda."

Frank's eyes were the size of dinner plates. His knowledge of Norse mythology was not what you would call extensive. Not knowing what else to do, he quickly dropped into a bow and kept his head down. He was nervous enough being in the presence of a goddess and her mere appearance made him shiver and want nothing more than to look anywhere other than her demonic looking form. So he kept his head down, respectful and also a way to break himself from having to apperceive her true form.

"I am not here to harm you Frank Zhang," Hel said in kind tone that still had a slight edge to it and that tone made him pale even further. "I come to warn you of a great threat that walks amongst you, waiting for his chance to destroy Rome and all that reside within it."

At those words Frank slowly looked up and waited for the goddess to continue.

Hel's expression was full of commiseration, "Your friend Jack is not who he claims to be son of Rome. He is a dangerous being who is a threat to you and all those you hold dear."

Frank's eyes narrowed a bit despite his previous fear of the being in front of him.

"Jack? How is he a threat? He has been nothing but an asset to New Rome and the legion! He is my friend, he would never betray Rome."

Hel's expression turned into one of feigned sympathy, "I am sorry for having to tell you the truth but he is not who you think he is. He is not a Roman but actually Norse, one hell bent of destroying all you hold dear."

Frank just looked at the goddess, refusing to believe her words. Hel noticed his look and shook her head.

"His real name is Perseus and he is a son of the Norse god, Thor."

Frank's jaw dropped a bit but he still refused to believe his friend had lied to him, "Why are you even telling me this?"

Hel sighed, "He is planning to destroy your demigod camp. Perseus was banished from his home in Asgard and exiled on Earth when he tried to kill his own father. He still managed to take his father's mighty hammer, Mjolnir, the most powerful weapon ever created. He is my cousin and our grandfather the All-Father, Odin, wanted to warn you and your camp. When Perseus was banished, all access back to our realm was destroyed so he could not return. With Mjolnir, he is strong enough to scare the pantheon of Norse gods as a whole. I am the only one who can still contact those on Earth because of my unique abilities that come along with my domain, but this is the limit of those abilities, to visit your dreams. I come to warn you Frank Zhang. You must kill him before he can kill you."

Frank wasn't sure what to say. He knew Jack wasn't a normal demigod, especially for a son of Venus, but he couldn't kill his friend. He had only protected Frank and tried to help him better himself through self-confidence and toning of his skills. Jack was his best friend and he deserved better than that from him.

"You're wrong about him. Maybe he is this Perseus guy but you don't know him. He is a good guy and an excellent Roman. I don't care who he really is, he's still my friend and I would never kill him." He said with a confidence that astonished even him.

Frank expected the goddess to be angry but instead she just looked at him with pity.

"You are very loyal Frank Zhang, an honorable trait to have in the world today. Perhaps if you saw firsthand what your friend was really like then you would better understand."

The goddess waved her hand as a red mist appeared in front of Frank.

Inside the mist an image appeared where Frank saw someone who looked a lot like a younger version of Jack approaching a group of what looked like mortals who were several years older than him. Frank's eyes widened when he grabbed one of their head's and snapped it with little effort. His stupefaction only grew when he saw Jack drive an axe through the forehead of another before the rest of the mortals ran for their lives.

The image shimmered a bit until Frank saw an older looking Jack in the middle of a room surrounded by thrones. Frank recognized some of the gods as he saw Jupiter holding his master bolt and Neptune his trident. He couldn't hear what they were saying but paled when he saw Jupiter launch his master bolt at his friend. The blast of the bolt illuminated the image and forced Frank to look away. But when it cleared, he looked back to find Jack was unharmed and just looked angry. Frank just stared at the scene until he saw another god, his own father, get off his throne only for Jack to hurl a massive hammer at him sending the war god crashing across the room. A few seconds later Jack was struck by lightning and vanished from the throne room.

The image slowly dissipated as Frank was just left staring at where it had been in utter disbelief.

"Do you see the truth now Frank Zhang? He is a killer, a threat even to your gods, a being hell-bent on destruction and death. His only wish in this life to hurt those who he can and bring those peoples' worlds in a state of chaos and despondency. I come to warn you and perhaps help you, if you will let me." Hel said seriously.

Frank slowly turned back to the goddess. It took a minute for him to find his voice again but he could no longer deny her words after what he had witnessed.

"What can I do?"

Hel smiled slyly. She held out her hand as a small vial appeared in it.

"You will dip your arrow in this and shoot Perseus before he can kill you. He is extremely powerful so you will have to wait for the right moment to make your move."

Frank was silent. He had so many emotions racing through his mind, none more prominent than anger and betrayal. He nodded to the Norse goddess.

She tossed him the vial, "When you wake you must act like you are still his friend. Tomorrow afternoon I will send one of my minions to attack Perseus. They will not be able to kill him but when he is distracted you will have your chance. Shoot him and save your friends, family and camp Frank Zhang. This is the only opportunity you will get. Should you not take it, I will not be able to help you again and may your gods have mercy on your soul."

Frank looked down at the vial for a second before his face hardened, "I'll do it; for Rome and the legion."

Hel smiled approvingly but her mind was already patting itself on the back for her utterly resplendent plan.

"Good. When Romans of the future mention the name Frank Zhang they shall speak of the savior of your people and continue to do so for eons to come. Rest son of Rome, you have a date with destiny tomorrow." She said before waving her hand in front of Frank's face as his vision went dark again. The next thing he knew he felt himself waking up where he saw 'Jack' standing over him with a smile.

That smile made something inside of him shift. He tried not to give any of his emotions away. He had to wait for the right time... or else he was a dead man.

A part of him - the loyal, trusting, naive part - whispered in the back of his mind that Jack was his friend. Jack would never do that.

'You saw what he's capable of!' the angry, betrayed, irrational side of him screamed back.

Frank returned the smile with a small one that he passed off as tired.

'Why would a Norse goddess help a Roman?' Loyalty asked angrily.

Frank ignored it.

Line Break

Frank sat on a log silently eating the breakfast 'Jack' had prepared for them. His mind raced with the dream vision he had the night before. He looked at his supposed friend and watched as he spoke to him with a genuine looking smile on his face.

Was this just some act? If it was, he had to give it to this Perseus guy, he played the part well. Frank nodded whenever 'Jack' would look at him expectantly until Frank finally relaxed as 'Jack' seemed to have tired of the one-sided conversation and started talking to Reyna.

Frank remained silent throughout breakfast as he watched Reyna and this Perseus guy closely. They seemed different than they had been before. Not flirting or anything but something was different and Frank couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He looked into the inside pocket of his coat where the vial had been when he woke from his dream with the Norse goddess before nervously zipping up his coat before anyone noticed.

"You ready to get moving Frank?" 'Jack' asked still smiling. Frank wasn't sure why he was smiling so much. Was it because he planned on killing them today? It didn't matter. Frank would do his duty as a Roman before he, Reyna or anyone in the legion could be hurt by this rogue Norse demigod.

Frank stood up and forced himself to smile, "Yeah I'm ready. My back feels fine today. Thanks again Jack."

Percy nodded as he and Reyna took off in the lead, Frank trailing a few feet behind them and keeping a close eye on Jack as they walked.

Frank kept his mouth shut for the next few hours. He watched the way 'Jack' and Reyna interacted. They seemed to be walking oddly close to each other, brushing against each other occasionally which only seemed to make Frank even more confused. He had seen when people got inside Reyna's personal space and it usually ended painfully and often bloody for the offenders. But if anything she seemed to be enjoying the close proximity to this enemy infiltrator.

Frank shook his head, soon the truth would be revealed and Reyna would see how close she was to walking into her own death.

They stopped when the Titan's fortress was in view, they couldn't have been more than a mile from the base of the mountain.

"Any ideas about how to approach the mountain?" Percy asked looking at Reyna.

The daughter of Bellona was silent as she thought. The mountain would certainly have monsters all around it. But the fact they had made it this far without so much as a single monster sighting made her uneasy. She looked over at Percy whose eyes were on the surrounding area, his own face full of unease as she guessed he was thinking the same. She glanced at Frank who looked extremely nervous but that wasn't out of the norm for the inexperienced demigod.

She turned back to Percy only to find his eyes narrowed.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Something is coming. Something big."

Before Reyna could ask anymore, the thundering of huge footsteps was heard to her left as she turned to find the largest hound she ever laid eyes on bounding straight at them.

Percy shoved Reyna aside just as the beast collided with him sending him flying backwards. He landed roughly on his back as the hound recovered from their collision and pounced at him.

Percy's hand opened as Mjolnir appeared in it as he swung it defensively, catching the monster below the jaw and sending it stumbling backwards. Percy climbed to his feet and saw Reyna with the sword he had given her out.

"What is that thing?" She asked looking at the bloodstained hound as it recovered from Percy's attack.

Percy kept his eyes on the hound, "That is Garmr. He is the guard dog of the gates of Niflheimr or Hel's domain."

"We can kill it though, right?"

Percy didn't answer immediately making Reyna nervous.

"Well, he's prophesied to kill the god of war in the battle at the end of the world but hey, I'm sure a few teenage demigods can take him, right?"

Reyna paled a bit but kept calm despite the powerful Norse monster in front of them. Garmr was crouched down low stalking towards them slowly as Percy and Reyna stood side by side with their weapons out.

Garmr kept up his slow pace. Percy raised Mjolnir to the sky as thunder rumbled loudly overhead. Lightning struck the ground erratically making Garmr hesitate. Just as Percy prepared to hurl his mighty weapon at the monster, he felt a sharp pain in his back. His eyes widened as he heard Reyna gasp. His eyes slowly went down to his chest where the tip of an arrow was poking out his skin.

The Norse demigod stumbled forward a few steps, the ability to breathe fading fast as the arrow went right through his left lung.

"What have you done?" Reyna screamed.

Percy slowly turned. He guessed where the arrow came from but refused to believe it until he laid eyes on his best friend Frank Zhang with his bow in hand and a look of fear on his face.

"Frank?" Percy said in utter shock. "Why?"

Frank's face hardened. "I had to, Perseus. For the legion, for Rome."

Just as Percy fell to the ground in a pool of his own blood, so did Frank, when he was punched by Reyna.

"You idiot!"

And then there was nothing. Darkness.


	12. Frank Breaks the Fourth Wall!

The Legacy of Asgard - Chapter 12

Last chapter…

Garmr kept up his slow pace. Percy raised Mjolnir to the sky as thunder rumbled loudly overhead. Lightning struck the ground erratically making Garmr hesitate. Just as Percy prepared to hurl his mighty weapon at the monster, he felt a sharp pain in his back. His eyes widened as he heard Reyna gasp. His eyes slowly went down to his chest where the tip of an arrow was poking out his skin.

The Norse demigod stumbled forward a few steps, the ability to breathe fading fast as the arrow went right through his left lung.

"What have you done?" Reyna screamed.

Percy slowly turned. He guessed where the arrow came from but refused to believe it until he laid eyes on his best friend Frank Zhang with his bow in hand and a look of fear on his face.

"Frank?" Percy said in utter shock. "Why?"

Frank's face hardened. "I had to, Perseus. For the legion, for Rome." 

Just as Percy fell to the ground in a pool of his own blood, so did Frank, when he was punched by Reyna. 

"You idiot!" 

And then there was nothing. Darkness. 

Now…

Reyna turned after unleashing all her anger and fury onto Frank's pudgy face and watching him crumple to the ground in an unconscious heap and ran to Percy's side. She could see the blood quickly pooling around his body. She checked his pulse which was there but faint and fading. She looked at the arrow unsure of what to do. She looked around but the monstrous hound had vanished from the area leaving her alone with a dying Percy Jackson and unconscious dumbass son of Mars.

She put a hand on the arrow trying to figure out how best to remove it but stopped herself. She was a warrior, not a medic.

Then the truth hit her, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't help him. She was going to sit there useless and watch him die. The one demigod who could save them from this Norse goddess and the first boy she had kissed in her short yet difficult life. Despite the less than loving kick to the groan she gave him the night before, she wasn't even angry about the lies. She knew they were necessary and even if she wouldn't admit it to herself, she had been excited to see where things went with this mysterious and powerful demigod.

Reyna felt a strange sensation on her face. Her hand slowly went up to her cheek where she felt of moisture of the tear trickling down her face.

She reached out and grabbed Percy's hand softly in hers giving it a gentle squeeze as she prayed for some kind of miracle to ride in and save the day.

A strange sound appeared behind her as the daughter of Bellona whirled around with her weapon in hand just as three beautiful women stepped out of what looked like a doorway made of nothingness, just a tear in air.

Reyna tensed and stood in front of Percy's dying body protectively as she looked at the three strangely dressed women. Two of them stood with hardened expressions on their faces, full of worry but also anger. The third and most beautiful of the three's face was full of despair.

"Perseus," she gasped before her face hardened like the three others and looked at Reyna with rage in her eyes. "What happened to him? Who did this?"

Reyna wasn't sure what to say. She had deduced these must be the three immortal Valkyries that had raised Percy but that only made the situation more complicated.

She pointed towards Frank's unconscious body, "He attacked when Percy was fighting some giant hound."

Eir narrowed her eyes as she looked at Frank's body. She opened her mouth to ask what happened to him when she saw Reyna's blood knuckles and figured it out.

The three immortal maidens made their way over and knelt by Percy's side. They began working together, to carefully removed the arrow from his body and then to stop the bleeding. They carefully bandaged up the wound on both sides. Reyna bit her lip nervously as she watched them work, hoping they would be able to save him.

One of the Valkyries muttered some words in a strange language as she held a hand over Percy's wound making it glow faintly for a second before it faded. The three woman exchanged looks with one another, all their faces etched with worry.

"Is he alright? Will he make it?" Reyna asked more frantically than she would have liked.

Two of the Valkyries stood up while Eir remained kneeling beside Percy holding his hand softly.

"The wound is poisoned. We slowed its spread through his body but it will only prolong his death. This is beyond our ability to heal." One answered seriously. Her tone was somewhat stoic but her eyes gave away her grief.

"What do you mean? You're supposed to be his guardians! Do your jobs and save him!" Reyna yelled before she could stop herelf.

The two standing Valkyries narrowed their eyes at the demigoddess but Eir spoke before they could respond.

"She is simply as worried for Perseus as we are. She is the one I told you about, the one he has grown close with. Her reaction is to be expected. She meant no disrespect sisters." She said as the other two immortals seemed to relax a bit.

The sound of groaning from their left turned all eyes to the pudgy Asian demigod as he sat up holding the swollen side of his face.

"You!" One of the Valkyries snarled as Frank's eyes widened and he climbed to his feet and drew his bow as quickly as he could.

The immortal flicked her wrist as the bow went flying from Frank's hand before she made a chocking motion with her hand as Frank's hands went to his throat trying to pry non-existent hands from his neck.

"I am going to rip you apart slowly and painfully you weak-minded fool. You dare attack Asgard's chosen one. You dare attack the favorite son of Thor and blessed grandson of the All-Father himself. I shall drag you back to Asgard and let Perseus' father take his time punishing you for your actions." She snarled with such rage it made even her sisters shiver.

She flicked her wrist again as Frank was sent flying backwards where he crashed into a tree before landing on his face on the ground in front of it.

The Valkyrie took a step towards Frank to deliver more punishment when the other spoke up.

"Brynhildr enough! We will deal with him later."

The Valkyrie turned with her face still full of rage, "I want my vengeance Sigrún! Perseus would want it as well."

The two Valkyries glared at each other, neither willing to give in until Eir broke them from their staredown.

"Enough! Come here. This boy is a son to us. Join me at his side sisters."

Sigrún and Brynhildr both nodded. They began to walk towards Percy when thunder so loud the very ground shook knocked everyone off their feet.

Reyna looked up at the sky in worry, "Lord Jupiter is angry." She said looking at Percy's guardians but were shocked to find them looking at the sky with hope in their eyes.

"Jupiter couldn't produce thunder like that if his life depended on it." Sigrún laughed. "Only one god could be behind that."

Reyna looked confused for a second before her eyes widened, "But Percy's father isn't even on Earth."

Brynhildr nodded her head, "No he is not. But now you may see the true power of the Aesir and that Perseus possesses."

Reyna wasn't sure what she meant but the three Valkyries pushed her back, away from Percy's body.

"What are you doing?"

Eir smiled, "Saving your life most likely. You aren't going to want to be close to him right now."

Before Reyna could ask what she meant, deafening thunder cracked overhead again before a monstrous bolt of lightning dropped from the sky and hit Percy's unmoving body square in the chest. Percy's guardians held up their hands as a shield of energy appeared around the four females.

The bolt seemed endless as Percy's body convulsed violently, millions of volts of electricity coursed through his body for what seemed like forever. In reality it was only a moment later when the bolt was gone and Percy's smoking body lay unmoving again on the ground.

The Valkyries dropped their hands as Reyna ran over to Percy's body followed closely by the three immortals.

"Is he dead?" Reyna asked.

Eir knelt over Percy's body and held her hand over his chest as she closed her eyes. A few seconds later as smile appeared on her face.

"He is alive. The poison is also gone. The electricity purged it from him body."

Reyna was awestruck, "How is that possible?"

Sigrún put a hand softly on Percy's cheek and was relieved to find the color returning to his face.

"He is a son of lightning. Thor rarely has children and almost no demigods. Because of that, Perseus is indescribably powerful and lightning is his domain. Lightning could never hurt a son of Thor. His father saved him." She said, unable to keep the smile off her face.

"We must let him rest. I believe we have other things we need to take care of." Eir said her eyes turning to where Frank was lying in the ground, just starting to stir again after his violent lesson on the density of trees.

The two other Valkyries turned to the Roman demigod with eerily calm expressions on their beautiful faces. The one that had flung Frank against the tree tilted her head to the side, barely noticeable, and her sisters followed her lead.

"Yes," Eir whispered. "All right."

Reyna furrowed her eyebrows and ripped her gaze away from Percy's body. "What is it?"

The Valkyries ignored her and instead turned to each other and nodded in agreement. The next second, Brynhildr vanished through the doorway from which the three had come from. Sigrun walked over to Frank's stirring body and touched his forehead. In an instant, the Roman and Valkyrie vanished.

Reyna was left alone with Percy's recovering body and Eir.

"Where did they go?" Reyna asked softly.

Eir turned her gaze on Reyna and her child. "Do you know who we are, half-blood? We are Percy's guardians since his family cannot be with him. Lord Loki has a message to deliver to your fellow Roman."

"What kind of message?"

For the first time since they had arrived, Eir's beautiful face morphed into a vengeful one, her lips twisted into a sadistic smirk. "What is the fun in spoiling the surprise, dear?"

Reyna shut her mouth and instead, turned her attention to Percy, who had also begun to stir. His fingers began to move, and she reached for his hand, she never was a girl for it, but she wanted to comfort him.

"I wouldn't touch him if I were you… unless you want to be electrocuted, that is." Eir warned. Reyna retreated her hand and stood up from her place beside the Norse demigod. "Don't worry too much. He's out of harm's way now. He should wake up soon, but I will take him somewhere safe."

Eir walked over to her child, but before she could touch him to transport them elsewhere, Reyna spoke. "Please take me with you."

Eir contemplated this for a moment before she nodded. She placed a hand on Percy's arm and flinched when the remaining lightning shocked her and her other hand on Reyna's.

Reyna saw the world spin, tear itself apart and put itself back together, and repeat the process again all while she stood in the middle of it. Then the ground underneath her disappeared and so did the hand on her shoulder. The next thing she knew, she was standing in the middle of a foyer. The sun was shining through the high, glass ceiling. Almost everything was made of glass and Reyna was scared that if she breathed a bit too much, the fragile-looking furniture may collapse along with the ceiling.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen." Eir assured her as she picked Percy up and headed up the glass stairs that had a blue-ish glow to them. Reyna, although hesitant, followed her up and was surprised when the stairs didn't collapse under her weight.

"How did you do that? The traveling thing? I thought it would hurt."

"No," Eir said as they walked up a hallway with several doors. She stopped in front of a door with lightning bolts engraved all over it. "Unlike my sisters, I twist reality instead of the opposite. My sisters, when they travel someone, it feels like being suffocated. Instead of reality tearing and twisting itself apart, it would be you. Think of it like having your whole body being forced through a sink pipe."

"Not pleasant, then," Reyna murmured and Eir chuckled. "Not at all."

"So, where are we?" Reyna looked around the bedroom. It also had a high ceiling but instead of the ceiling being glass, it appeared to be the sky on a stormy night. Lightning flashed angrily through the clouds as they walked in.

"Montauk." Eir said as she placed her child on his bed. Reyna shuffled over to the other side of the bed and tried to fix the pillows. Wow, she was so out of character today wasn't she?

Percy groaned a bit before he sighed contently while snuggling closer to his comfortable pillows and fell back into his slumber, this time without the piercing and burning pain in his lungs.

"Montauk?"

"Yes. On the outside, this place looks like a regular beach house but as you can see, it is enchanted to be bigger in the inside. Only my sisters, Perseus and I can see it for what it truly is, and the Norse Gods, too." Eir gestured to all around them with a smile on her face.

Reyna hesitated before asking the next question:

"Where is Frank?"

To her surprise, Eir didn't glare at her, but instead her smile widened. "Oh, he's downstairs asleep, you could say."

"Asleep?" the Roman asked alarmed.

"No, your soldier isn't dead, if that's what you're thinking. Now, how about we find you a room so that you can rest, hm?"

-x-

When Frank awoke, there was nothing but silence.

His vision was nothing but blurry and he had a massive headache, his muscles throbbed in pain, and the last he could remember was… well, nothing. Except his name.

He sat up wincing and clutching his pounding head, as his vision became sharper until he could finally make out his surroundings.

Then, he heard faint footsteps against wet grass. "Frank, I am so sorry! Are you okay?" It was a soft, feminine voice that had spoken.

Frank blinked and looked up to meet golden eyes. Her skin was dark and her hair was like curly chocolate. She wore an apologetic smile on her face. She looked younger than him, probably around thirteen or fourteen years old. "A…Are you okay?" she asked again.

Frank grunted and tried to stand up, but his clothes felt heavy, and as he looked around, he could see that the sky was darkening with gray clouds.

"Y-Yes, I think so. What happened?"

The girl looked confused for a moment. "Oh, dear." She whispered. "Maybe you should come inside so that I can check your head. You may have a concussion." She held her hand out for him to take, which he took without a second thought. She smiled.

"Hazel! What happened to him? He's bleeding!"

"He ran into a tree when we were playing Hide and Seek. I think he slipped on the wet grass."

A cold rush of wind hit slammed into Frank, even though they were inside the house, and he stumbled back a few steps before he caught a grip on a table but his back managed to hit the wall with a loud thud. He didn't even feel the pain and it was as if the other two didn't even notice. "Actually, Miss di Angelo, I'm fine." He backed away from the wall slightly and glanced at it. It was cracked.

Miss di Angelo was a small and petite woman with olive skin and beautiful and dark brown eyes.

Hazel's adopted, Frank's mind supplies as he takes in Miss di Angelo's appearance and compared her features to Hazel's.

Hazel's mother looked at him with a worried expression on her face as she checked around his head and Hazel herself walked back to him with a wet rag in hand. "I don't think we need to bandage his head."

She stepped behind him and began to carefully tend the cut on his forehead. He winced slightly. Hazel gave him a comforting smile and kissed his forehead. "All done. It stopped bleeding, so I won't be able to put a little band-aid on you. Shame, since I got those Kung Fu Panda ones that you liked."

Frank felt a sharp stab of pain on his chest. It wasn't because of the band-aids, but… he remembered someone had called him that once. A friend, he thinks.

"All right, just don't go back to running outside. It's about to storm." Miss di Angelo said as she looked out the window to the darkening sky. Lightning flickers in the sky and Frank flinches once again. "Maybe you should stay here tonight, Frank. I'll go ahead and call your grandmother and let her know."

Frank nods silently with his eyes fixed on the angry sky irrationally fearful. His throat tightens up as the storm roars and the lights flicker on and off. He feels another sharp pain, this time stronger, in his lungs and he can't breathe.

But then he can and it's like it never happened.

The remaining sunlight has faded and now it's completely dark in less than a second. The storm clouds are gone and the stars shine brightly.

"What the…?"

Hazel's eyes shifted over to him. "Are you okay?" she said this like it was all totally normal.

"It… whaaaa…?"

"Frank?"

"It… it was day, and now it's night!"

"Yeah…?"

"That's not normal!" He exclaimed in alarm and for some unknown reason, his fist collided with the wall. It didn't hurt him, but the wall cracked. What was it with him and breaking walls?

Hazel looked at him funnily like he was the weird one and didn't even flinch at his act of violence. "Frank, maybe you need to lay down."

His surroundings turned dark as if someone had turned the lights off, and the next thing he knew, someone switched the lights back on and he was in his bedroom lying on his bed.

He shrugged it off just like Hazel had done with the change of time so sudden, but it's like a part of him didn't want to shrug it off. A part of him was telling him that something was off… and despite the weird occurrences being right in front of him, it's like he was forced to turn a blind eye on them.

He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Days passed and he saw Hazel and her mother every day. Sometimes he would hesitate until his mind supplied information for him. He hadn't remembered that Hazel did in fact have two siblings, the biological children of Maria di Angelo. But he knew now. He knew that Nico was a hyper kid who was obsessed with some game called Mythomagic and that Bianca was really good at drawing and that she loved to take long runs in the mornings. He knew that their father, who remained nameless, had left them when Nico had been born. It's like the information was there, but wasn't. 

He cracked a smile at something that Nico said at the dinner table.

That was another thing. As the days went by, neither Frank's 'grandmother' nor anybody else from his family made a guest appearance in his life. It was like nobody even cared. Every morning he woke up in his bedroom and the next thing he knew, he would be sitting at a round table, chatting and eating with Hazel and her family, falling more and more in love with the golden eyed girl.

Eventually, three weeks had passed and Frank's mind was no longer momentarily confused. He went along with everything. The weird time changes, the angry lightning storms, his family missing from the picture.

Everything. Well, except…

"Hazel?"

Despite his mind being confused about her, he knew that he loved her a lot and he would die if something happened to her. He called out her name once again, but she didn't answer his call. Panic began to flood his chest and he began running down the dark alley, the smell of smoke and filth filling his nostrils. "Hazel!"

He heard a familiar scream behind him and he spun on his heel. He automatically reached for his bow and arrow - wait, what?

The next scream was accompanied by a maniacal laugh that made Frank shudder in fear down to his toes. He ran after the scream, his feet thumping against the ground, the darkness swallowing him in. He struggled for air, but he couldn't get it in his lungs.

-x-

Reyna sighed worriedly as she lied on the bed in the bedroom that Eir had told her to stay in. She was eager for Percy Jackson to wake up so that they could get going with their quest - and, yes, Frank too.

She chuckled dryly.

So much for best friends, right?

She pondered on this thought for a couple of minutes before her stomach grumbled and she was forced to rise from the very comfortable bed that she was on. She put her shoes back on and walked towards the bedroom door.

She stepped out of the room and closed the door quietly behind her and looked down the hallway, wondering where the kitchen was. The Roman demigoddess began to walk down the hall and down the stairs until she heard Frank's pained and tortured screams.

Then, sobbing.

Her eyebrows furrowed together and her jaw clenched. She weighed the pros and cons of finding the Asian boy and saving him from his punishment. He did deserve it, but on the other hand, torture… what was she thinking? She was a Roman! In New Rome, if you betrayed fellow soldier, you would be stuffed in a sack with angry wolves and thrown in Neptune's domain until dawn.

But…

Another pained scream that made her flinch. She sighed and carefully headed towards the door from where the screams had come from.

She kicked the door open, and what she was met with, she was not expecting.

-x-

In front of Frank was a bloody and tattered Hazel with tears in her eyes. She was looking at him reproachfully as she continued on being cut by an invisible attacked wielding a silver knife. The knives cut deep within the girl, and every time she screamed for help while Frank stood there doing nothing. He wanted to, but his feet were glued to the ground. He could not tear his eyes away nor could he say a word. He couldn't breathe. He could do nothing except watch as his girlfriend was being stabbed and slashed at.

The invisible wielder of the knife then plunged the knife into her chest and left it there. Hazel's head fell to the side, her eyes wide open as the life faded from them.

Silence.

Then he could breathe again and he could move. He felt the hot tears run down his face as he ran to Hazel's lifeless body and kneeled beside her. He took the knife out of her chest carefully even though she could no longer be hurt. His fingers traced her face and finally reached her eyes, which he closed tenderly.

Tears fell on her, mixing with her blood. He wanted to scream, but he couldn't. He punched the wall nearest to him in despair and anger. When his fist collides with the wall, he hears and feels the bones in his hand break, but so did the concrete wall. Little cracks forming from the hole that he left with his fist with stains of his blood.

Then, he is flung onto the opposite wall away from Hazel's body, his whole body slamming against the wall and the crack of bones and concrete is louder this time.

"Frank!" A shorter man than he appears from the shadows, stepping over Hazel's body and glancing at her disinterestedly. He wears a friendly smirk on his lips, his brows quirk and his golden eyes shine with amusement.

He has dark, golden hair slicked back and he wears a dark green jacket almost brown with a maroon button up shirt and dark blue jeans to go along with it. Overall, he seems like a pretty chill guy. Except he's not.

"That's the fourth wall you've broken this month!" the man exclaims cheerily. "You broke two on your first day here, and now two here." The man chuckles. "Get it? Fourth wall?"

Oh, Frank gets it all right, but he's not laughing.

"Ugh, mortals. So boring." the man says with a roll of his eyes and an edge of irritation in his voice.

"Who… who are you?" Frank croaks out, his throat dry.

"Me?" the man points to himself and slides over towards Frank, who is still pinned up on the cracked wall.

"Slide to the left," the short man slides to the left smoothly. "Slide to right," the man does and he's only a couple of steps away from Frank. "Two hops, two hops!" The man hops twice and he's finally standing directly in front of a very scared and alarmed Frank. "What? ChaCha slide!" he says indignantly. "Anyway, I'm Loki. Percy's uncle. You know Percy," Loki said casually as he ran a hand through his hair and slicked it back more than it already was. "Percy the one who you pierced a poisoned arrow through his back."

Frank tried to defend himself, but he found that he could utter no words.

Percy. Percy. Perseus. Jack. 

"Ah, yes, I see you remember everything now, right? Even the part where you so foolishly listened to Hel and that there is an angry teenage girl out for your blood because you hurt her boyfriend? Well… they're not dating yet. Sorry, getting off track here. Like I was saying, I hope that you enjoyed your stay here in Loki's World of Revenge, where you get to watch your loved ones be murdered! Frankly, though, I would never admit it to anyone else, but I had a little help with manipulating your emotions from Freya!" He winked but sighed in irritation and pinched the bridge of his nose at Frank's puzzled look. "Freya… goddess of love and beauty."

"Like… Venus?"

Loki laughed loudly. "Venus," he spat out her name in disgust. "She has nothing on Freya. Your gods are like children compared to us in the power scale." He said proudly. "And don't even get me started on our demigods! But… like I was saying. I hope you got the big 'you hurt Asgard's Chosen One and you will pay, fuck you' message and come again soon!"

Loki snapped his fingers and Frank awoke with a jolt, sweat running down his forehead and a blood curling scream.

Next thing he knew, before he could recover full consciousness, Reyna had kicked down the door with all of her strength only to find a sweaty Frank laying on a bed, gasping for air.

"What the hell? You screamed bloody murder because you had a nightmare!"

-x-

Percy Jackson's eyes snapped open, darting back and forth as all the memories of the last thing he remembered came back to him. Frank shooting him in the back and then nothing but darkness. He sat up, sparks bouncing violently off his skin before his eyes widened when he saw Eir smiling at him from a seat by the door.

"What happened?"

"You were literally stabbed in the back by your best friend. Hel convinced him that you were the enemy." The immortal explained carefully.

Percy's eyes narrowed dangerously before his hand went to his chest where he remembered the arrow poking through. He felt the scar already formed but it appeared to be long since healed only furthering his confusion.

"You were poisoned, a very powerful kind of poison found only in Niflheim. You were all but dead when we arrived."

He just stared at the immortal waiting for more explanation.

"Your father saved you. He used his lightning to purge the poison from your body. You've been discharging the after effects of it for the last couple hours." Eir said gesturing to the charred portions of the bed next to where his hands and feet would have been while he slept.

"What about Reyna, is she alright?" He asked quickly remembering Garmr and the attack before Frank tried to kill him.

A mischievous smirk tugged at Eir's lips, "She is fine, quite worried about you but otherwise fine."

Percy's face reddened a bit before his face turned serious again, "And Frank?"

Eir's smile vanished.

"Your Uncle Loki wished to have some words with him. Give him a taste of what he tried to put us through by killing you."

Percy looked shocked. He didn't really think his family would care so much. He thought about what his mothers had told him about his Uncle Loki and became a little worried. Eir noticed his expression and shook her head.

"He won't be harmed, not physically anyway. That will be up to you."

Percy let out a breath and nodded, "Let's go find Frank and Reyna, we've got some talking to do and a mission to complete."


	13. Helpful Hesperides

Ch. 13

Last Chapter….

Loki laughed loudly. "Venus," he spat out her name in disgust. "She has nothing on Freya. Your gods are like children compared to us in the power scale." He said proudly. "And don't even get me started on our demigods! But… like I was saying. I hope you got the big 'you hurt Asgard's Chosen One and you will pay, fuck you' message and come again soon!"

Loki snapped his fingers and Frank awoke with a jolt, sweat running down his forehead and a blood curling scream.

Next thing he knew, before he could recover full consciousness, Reyna had kicked down the door with all of her strength only to find a sweaty Frank laying on a bed, gasping for air.

"What the hell? You screamed bloody murder because you had a nightmare!"

Now…

Frank's eyes widened when they landed on Reyna. He flinched slightly at the look of irritation and anger on her face. He slowly managed to compose himself and looked at the Centurion anxiously.

"How long was I out?"

She let out an annoyed sigh, "A few hours. What the hell is wrong with you anyway?"

Frank's face morphed into one of confusion.

"What?"

Reyna's hand drifted to her gladius, "You tried to kill Jack!"

Frank's eyes widened as the memories of everything that happened before his seemingly endless dream came back to him; his dream with Hel and then his apparent failed attempt to kill his best friend.

"I was trying to protect Rome. Hel said he was planning to betray us, and that I had to stop him before it was too late." He tried to defend himself.

Reyna took two quick steps forward and laced a right hook hard into Frank's jaw sending him toppling off the other side of the bed where he crashed ungracefully to the floor.

"You idiot Zhang! She is the enemy. She is working with the Titans you moron. I'll have you executed back in Rome for this treason against a fellow legionnaire!"

Frank slowly rose to his feet, his hand massaging his now painfully bruised jaw.

"I didn't know. And he did lie to us, he's not a Roman." He weakly tried to argue but it only served for further infuriate the already angry Roman demigoddess.

Reyna pulled out her gladius and pointed it at Frank, "I don't care. He is still your superior officer and you do not try to take matters into your own hands; especially when you have no idea what's going on!"

Frank paled at his eyes landed on the tip of the blade less than six inches from his throat.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you here and now for your actions?"

Frank tried to back up but quickly found himself with his back against the wall and an enraged Centurion out for his blood.

"Enough Reyna." A firm voice spoke from the doorway.

Both Reyna and Frank looked at the entrance to find Percy Jackson looking quite alive and well.

"He deserves punishment." Reyna growled.

Percy turned his head slightly and stared at Reyna who found his gaze surprisingly hard to maintain before she turned her head and lowered her blade.

"Thank you Jack." Frank said gratefully.

If Percy heard his words, he made no indication.

"I assume whatever it was Frank went through with Loki, it was a decent punishment." Percy said seriously as he kept his eyes on Reyna. "We still need to get to Othrys and find out what the Titans are doing."

Reyna nodded as she remembered their mission. She could deal with Frank later but they needed to focus on their duty of protecting Rome.

"How do we get back?"

Percy turned to Eir who nodded her head and stepped forward grabbing Reyna and Frank's shoulders before they could react and vanished from the room inside the Montauk beach house.

Percy remained behind taking a moment to collect himself.

Two women stepped out of the shadows of the room, each putting a hand on one of Percy's shoulders.

"You must remain calm Perseus. Rome is the perfect place for you to remain until Hel makes her move." Sigrún said soothingly with a soft squeeze of his shoulder.

Percy nodded but otherwise remained silent before he stepped away from two of his immortal guardians as a bolt of lightning blasted through the glass roof of the home and struck the demigod leaving the place he was standing empty.

-x-

Reyna and Frank reappeared in the spot where they had last been of their quest. Frank promptly dropped to his knees holding his throat as he tried to shake off the feeling of suffocation and being ripped apart from the inside out. Reyna looked at him confused before turning to Eir who smirked a bit before she shrugged.

"I don't like him. I made it unpleasant." She said simply before vanishing from the spot without another word.

Reyna turned to Frank who seemed to be slowly regaining his bearings. She looked around for Percy who was nowhere to be seen.

"What was that?" Frank asked as his hand massaged his throat.

Reyna ignored him and looked around wondering where Percy was. She worried a bit that he wouldn't come at all, that Frank had ruined everything and cost them the one advantage they had in the coming war against this unknown Norse goddess.

"Where's Jack?" Frank asked looking around.

Before Reyna could snap at him for asking a question she obviously didn't know the answer to, a bolt of lightning struck the ground a few feet away from Reyna making her gasp when Percy stood in the spot where the bolt had struck.

"How did you do that?"

Percy looked up and shrugged, "Just a demigod power I have. It's a little hard to explain so let's just call it lightning travel and move on." He said simply before taking a few deep breaths, "It is tiring though, I'll tell you that."

Reyna gave him a slight glare but gave up when he didn't show any interest in explaining further.

Percy muttered something under his breath as his appearance changed, going back to the features of his alter ego, Jack.

"Let's get moving."

Peryc and Reyna started walking, resuming the trek towards Mount Othrys while Frank remained rooted in his spot for a minute.

"Hey," he called up to them. "Wait a sec."

Both Centurions stopped. Reyna looked over at Percy wondering what his expression would be like after everything that went on. Frank had been his best friend in camp, though she doubted that remained true after everything that had happened in the past twelve hours.

Percy turned and looked at the son of Mars expectantly.

Frank shuffled a little nervously in his spot, "I, uh, just wanted to apologize. You know, for trying to kill you and everything."

Percy's expression remained stoic but the crack of the thunder overhead was a clear indication of his true emotions at the moment. Reyna looked a bit uneasy by the sound of thunder responding to Percy's emotions.

"Forget it. It's over now. We have a mission that needs completing." Percy answered turning around again.

Frank looked relieved at his response, "So then, we're cool?"

Faster than Frank could react, Percy turned back to him and grabbed the son of Mars by the shirt with both hands pulling him close so they were inches apart.

"Cool? No Frank Zhang, we are not cool. We are about as far from cool as two people can be. You tried to kill me and if I wasn't sure you did it out of nothing but pure stupidity, I'd rip out your throat here and now. If you enjoy being a living and breathing human, you will stay as far away from as you can until this war is over and I can finally go to a place where I belong. I thought I found such a place in Rome but you've shown me exactly how wrong I was. I suggest you forget whatever kind of friendship we had and remember if you open your mouth and blow my cover in Rome, I'll be sure to slit your throat before I leave you to fight this war by yourselves." He growled before shoving Frank backwards where he tumbled to the ground landing on his back.

Percy turned and found Reyna looking at him disapprovingly.

"Problem Centurion Reyna?" He asked harshly.

She narrowed her eyes but shook her head deciding it wouldn't be good to start an argument at the moment.

"Jack," Frank said nervously from where he was climbing to his feet a few feet back.

"My name is Percy."

Frank froze at the tone in which Percy snapped back at him. It was obvious he wasn't interested in talking about this or anything else to Frank.

"Let's go, we need to finish the quest and get back to Rome and report our findings. We've already been delayed enough." Reyna interjected before Frank or Percy could say anything else.

The quest walked in silence, the tension was palpable between the trio, mostly between Percy and Frank, but Reyna couldn't deny the awkwardness of the situation either. Percy seemed to be turning a cold shoulder to her as well as Frank. Even if she wouldn't admit it to herself, it bothered her. But being a good Roman soldier, she pushed any personal thoughts aside and focused on the task at hand.

As the sun began to set on the second day of their quest, the mist in front of them seemed to be getting unnaturally thicker. Reyna and Frank seemed concerned by the sudden change in the air but Percy seemed unfazed. He made his way confidently through the mist as the two Romans trailed in his wake.

Without notice, Percy came to a halt. Reyna stopped at his side, Frank a couple steps behind.

"Why did you stop?" Reyna hissed.

Percy pointed ahead as Reyna watched the mist seemingly part to reveal a beautiful lush meadow of shadows and flowers. She gasped a bit when she looked ahead at an enormous tree that had to five stories tall, every branch glittering with golden apples.

Reyna stared at the mesmerizing apples for a moment until the fragrance finally reached her nostrils and she knew one bite would be the most delicious thing she had ever tasted.

"The apples of immortality," Percy answered for her. "Depending on which myth you choose to believe, they were either Zeus' wedding gift to Hera or a wedding gift given to Hera by Mother Earth herself."

Reyna looked unsure. She knew bits and pieces of Greek mythology from her own studies on the subject but this one wasn't one she knew much about. Her interests were in the battles and wars and the strategies used to win them.

"They were a gift from Zeus I assure you. Gaea or Terra or whatever you want to call her isn't exactly known for her love for the Olympians gods." Percy continued as if reading her mind.

She slowly nodded before finally noticing that enormous hundred headed dragon coiled around the trunk of the tree.

She reached for her sword but Percy grabbed her hand before she could unsheathe the blade.

"Wait. He only protects the tree. We are safe here from Ladon."

Reyna looked at him confused by he just shook his head, seemingly waiting for something. She looked ahead and tensed a little when the shadows in the garden started to solidify in front of them. Four beautiful women seemingly shimmered into existence, all looking at the trio harshly.

"It was foolish for you three to venture here. Turn back now and you may escape with your lives." The middle girl spoke.

Reyna was about to reply when Percy stepped forward.

"Aegle. We went over this last time I was here and I thought we made our peace."

The Hesperide sent him a harsh glare to cover up her confusion.

"I don't know you demigod."

Percy remained calm and muttered a few words under his breath as his appearance shimmered into his true form.

Aegle's eyes widened, "Perseus."

Reyna looked at the nymphs in front of her with confusion before turning to Percy with the same look.

"You know them?"

"I told you about my last trip to Othrys. The only way to the mountain is through the Garden of the Hesperides."

Reyna shook her head, "That's where we are?"

"The Garden of the Hesperides; where Ladon guards Hera's golden apples of immortality. Don't tell me that you Romans don't know even the most basic of Greek myths."

Reyna shook her head, "You really were serious about that Greek stuff, weren't you?"

Percy turned all the way towards her to capture her gaze completely, "Despite what you think you know about me, I rarely joke when I'm not Jack."

"Why are you here again Perseus? You truly don't know what you're doing if you're willingly going to walk into the mountain now." Hesperia said before Reyna could ask anything else.

Percy turned back to the four immortal guardians of the garden.

"I am calling in your debt to me. I need to know what the Titans are up to. I know Hel is up there and I promise you that no matter what she may have convinced your father and the other Titans, she is no ally to Titan or god in this world. She will betray them. I know your allegiance lies with your father and it always has but being stuck under the burden of the sky for another millennia is a gift in comparison to what he will receive if Hel has her way."

The four nymphs turned to each other speaking in hushed whispers as Percy and his companions waited. Reyna leaned closer to Percy.

"They owe you a debt?"

"Later."

The Centurion nodded with a slight look of irritation. She apparently knew far less about Percy Jackson than she thought she did.

After a minute Erytheia stepped towards Percy, "Come young Perseus. We will tell you what you wish but it is for your ears only as our debt is to you and not your companions."

Percy nodded and made to step forward when Reyna grabbed his arm, "What are you doing?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Completing the mission," he said slipping out of her grasp. "They are repaying their debt and would not try anything, just wait with Frank."

Reyna looked unsure but Percy stepped forward as the shadows gathered around the four nymphs and son of Thor as they vanished from sight.

"Where did they go?" Frank asked nervously.

Reyna rolled her eyes but didn't respond to his question, feeling slightly nervous herself as they waited for Percy to return.

After what felt like an hour but was closer to ten minutes, the shadows began to gather as Percy appeared with the nymphs flanking both sides of him.

He turned bowing his head slightly to the Hesperides before taking Arethusa's hand in his own and planting a kiss on it tinting her cheeks a little pink.

"Thank you for your help my ladies. I promise to return the favor in the future should you ever need it."

The four nymphs gave him small smiles with a nod before they shimmered out of existence again.

Reyna was glaring slightly at the blushing Arethusa as they vanished before her expression hardened as Percy turned back to them with a serious look on his face.

"We need to get back to camp. An attack will be sent in the next few days at both our camp and the Greek one."

Reyna's eyes widened at his words but before she could speak Frank did.

"The Greek one?"

Percy walked up to Frank making him shuffle his feet nervously. Percy raised his hand as Frank closed his eyes expecting a punch but Percy just put his hand to Frank's forehead and closed his eyes muttering something under his breath before he pulled it away. Reyna looked at Frank's glazed over eyes with confusion before he shook his head.

"We need to get back to camp so we can prepare for the attack." The chubby son of Mars said urgently.

Percy nodded, "We'll travel as far as we can tonight and make camp before finishing the trek in the morning."

Reyna opened her mouth to ask what he had done to Frank when Percy's electric blue eyes locked on to her dark obsidian ones as he shook his head slightly and mouthed the word later.

Reyna narrowed her eyes but nodded her head stiffly as they set out on the return trip to Camp Jupiter.

-x-

They travelled for a few hours before setting up camp in the woods outside San Francisco. Percy and Reyna waited until Frank finally retired for the night as they sat on logs by a small fire they had started.

"Well?" Reyna asked. "I'm waiting."

Percy rolled his eyes at her tone, "What do you want to know?"

"Let's start with this debt that managed to get us the information we needed without even making it all the way to the mountain."

He nodded to her question, "When I travelled here a few years ago, I had to get past Ladon. The garden blocks the use of teleporting of any kind so I couldn't exactly zap myself past the hundred headed dragon. My mothers managed to use their magic to turn the dragon on the Hesperides. They pleaded for their lives so I stopped Ladon from killing them. They said they owed me a debt for sparing their lives and I just collected it."

Reyna was a little surprised but nodded nonetheless as it did make sense.

"And Frank, how did you do that to him? You erased his memories, didn't you?"

"Part of my blessing from the All-Father, Odin. I can manipulate the thoughts of those whose minds are weak. I did the same thing to Octavian so I made sure he saw what I wanted him to see in the auguries."

"You made sure you were picked?"

He nodded, "Of course. I needed to be the one to lead the quest since I knew Hel would likely send something to attack and I was the only one who knew how to destroy her minions."

Reyna slowly shook her head but believed his words. Before she could ask more, Percy stood up.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out an odd looking coin and some sort of canister.

"Point your flashlight towards those trees. Try to capture the moonlight in the light though."

Reyna looked confused but did as he asked. Percy set the canister down and flipped off the top as a mist shot into the air creating a rainbow where the mist crossed the light from his flashlight.

He tossed the coin into the mist where it vanished from sight.

"Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me Zoë Nightshade please but only if she is alone."

At first nothing happened but after a moment it shimmered a bit before it revealed a beautiful dark haired girl in a silver parka and combat boots that Reyna thought looked remarkably like the Hesperides she had just met.

"Zoë!" Percy called out quietly.

The teen turned, her eyes widening when they landed on Percy.

"Perseus?"

He nodded, "I come with a message that I need you to pass along."

Zoë looked a little confused but nodded anyway.

"The Titans are marching an army towards Camp Half-Blood. They plan to use the Labyrinth as a way to ambush the camp."

The huntresses' eyes widened a bit, "How do you know? And the Labyrinth?"

"Your sisters. They owed me a debt I called in for information about the Titan's plans. I'm still in Rome but wanted to make sure the Greeks knew an attack was imminent. It is likely to occur within the week."

Zoë looked slightly anxious at the news, "I will make sure the message is passed along. I will say my sisters informed me of the threat."

Percy gave her a small smile, "Thank you Zoë."

The huntress smiled back, "Of course Perseus, I will always be in your debt."

Percy's smile grew a bit, "We'll call it even now. Take care of yourself Zoë. War is approaching sooner than we may expect it."

Zoë frowned a bit but nodded anyway, "You do the same Perseus." She said as she swiped through the message.

Percy flipped the top of the canister back on before turning to Reyna who had an eyebrow raised.

"That was the huntress I spoke to you about. I have stayed in contact with her as she gives me what information she can and I do the same. It is helpful to have allies in different parts of the world."

Reyna just shook her head, "So that was a Greek demigod?"

Percy's lips quirked just slightly into an amused smirk, "Well if you wish to know, she is actually the daughter of a Titan, the Titan Atlas to be exact."

Reyna opened her mouth to say something when Percy continued.

"She was a Hesperide, the sister of the nymphs we just met. Now she serves the goddess Artemis, er, Diana, or whatever now."

Reyna's mouth was slightly agape before she caught herself and turned more serious, "How do you know so much about a huntress of Diana? Their distaste for men is quite well known."

Percy just shrugged, "Don't really have an answer for that, suppose she's just grateful I saved her a while back. We talk from time to time when she gets away from the other hunters. I suppose you could call her a friend, though we've only met in person a couple times."

Reyna slowly nodded her head as the two fell into silence for the first time in a while. After a few minutes, her eyes drifted to the tent where Frank was sleeping.

"I suppose Zhang has ruined that feeling of home you had in Rome."

Percy followed her gaze and narrowed his eyes. He still wanted to smash Frank's face in with Mjolnir at the moment but it didn't mean he felt the same way about all of Rome and the rest of the legion. He still had Jason and a few others he considered friends; people he wasn't willing to give up yet just because Frank tried to kill him. He looked up at Reyna and despite the emotionless mask that she wore, he could see a little bit of worry in her eyes.

He shook his head, "He may have ruined our friendship, but no, nothing else has changed."

Reyna lips twitched slightly before she caught herself and nodded. Percy muttered a few words under his breath as his appearance shimmered back into Jack and he cracked a grin.

"I still have a certain daughter of Bellona I have my eyes on…." He said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

He got the desired effect as Reyna let out a small laugh before glaring at him. Despite the glare, his smile never wavered making Reyna give up on glaring the foolishness out of him.

"You look better as a Norse than a son of Venus." She said rolling her eyes.

Percy quickly fist pumped the air, "Knew it! I happen to come from a long line of lady killers in case you're wondering. These boyish good looks aren't going anywhere."

Reyna rolled her eyes again at his joking around but she was glad he was back to the Jack or Percy that she started the quest with. She took a step towards her tent before she stopped.

"Tell me one thing though, why a son of Venus?"

She looked back at him to find him looking serious again.

"What is the point of being respected if it's only because of whose kid you are? It was far more satisfying to earn it myself than walk into camp having it handed to me on a silver platter based on my false parentage. Plus, the Venus kids needed some respect. I've gotten to know some of my "siblings" and you other legionnaires judge them too harshly before you know them. I happen to like being a son of Venus actually."

Reyna was a little surprised by his answer but just nodded not wanting to show it before she turned back to her tent with a small smile on her face as she retired for the night.

Percy on the other hand took a seat by the fire again, his thoughts swimming about the coming battle and what exactly the Titans would throw at their camp and if Hel would send her own little surprises for them or him to deal with.


	14. A Good Man Goes to War

Ch. 14

Frank Zhang refused to open his eyes. Yesterday might have possibly been the worst day of his short and difficult life. He had taken the word of some unknown goddess whom he had never even heard of and then used that as his reasoning for trying to kill his best friend. The one guy who ignored his awkward and clumsy nature and accepted him for who he was; tried to help Frank improve himself when it came to his battlefield skills and confidence around the other legionnaires, and had undoubtedly been the closest thing to a real brother he was ever going to get. Then, in a foolish attempt to protect a place he didn't even really like before 'Jack' got there, he put a poisoned arrow through Percy's back when he was risking his life to protect him and Reyna. Now he had screwed everything up. Reyna was itching to have him drawn and quartered for his moronic actions and as if having her out for his head weren't enough, his former best friend was having trouble restraining himself from killing Frank too.

Frank clenched his eyes a little tighter in the impossible notion that if he tried hard enough, he could make everything that happened the day before disappear and he could go back to having his best friend not wanting to run him through first chance he got.

That was when he felt the sharp point of a sword press firmly against his chest.

"Get up, we need to have a chat." Percy said coldly.

He slowly opened his eyes to see a dark expression plastered on the face of 'Jack Vidar', er, Percy Jackson. Frank opened his mouth to respond when he felt the tip of the blade dig a little deeper against his shirt.

"Actually I will talk. You will listen. At the end, you will nod your head if you understand. If you don't, well, you should make sure you understand."

Frank nervously nodded his head.

"When we return to camp, you will follow the story Reyna and I tell the others to a T. I am only in Camp Jupiter because it is the best strategic place for me to be when Hel reveals herself as an ally of the Titans. You aren't going to mention anything that happened on this quest; not that I'm not Roman, not that we never actually made it to Mount Othrys, not that you cowardly tried to kill me with an arrow to the back or anything else that happened outside of what Reyna and I tell the Senate. After that, you will stay away from me. I thought you were a friend, someone I could trust but you're just a foolish boy who thought he could be a hero by literally trying to stab me in the back. Do we have an understanding?"

Frank looked near tears but managed to nod his head slowly.

Percy ignored Frank's pained look and pulled his blade back and sheathed it at his waist.

"Good. Now get up, we're leaving in ten minutes." He said before turning and walking out without a second glance at Frank.

He emerged from the tent where Reyna was waiting outside of hers.

"Did you start another fire this morning?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

He shook his head, "I just kept it going all night, it got cold."

"You didn't sleep?"

Percy shook his head again.

"I thought it was best if I kept my distance from Frank, I'd still like to kill him at the moment. Besides, I had a lot on my mind."

Reyna stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

He sighed tiredly, "When the battle comes to Camp Jupiter, it will likely be the last day I can stay in New Rome. If Hel sends Norse monsters then I will have no option other than to reveal myself to fight them. Only you and I have weapons that can harm them. I always knew this was temporary but I thought I had more time; more time to figure something out."

"Figure something out?"

For the first time since she met him, Reyna saw a look of genuine fear on Percy's face.

"I don't even know what I'm doing!" He said exasperated. "All my life I was trained to be able to fulfill some big destiny here on Earth and now the moment is drawing close and I don't have a clue how I'm supposed to do it. I'm just a demigod and somehow I'm supposed to defeat a goddess! The goddess of Niflheim!"

Reyna was a little taken aback by the sudden outburst and first sign of vulnerability from Percy. She quickly composed herself though and looked at Percy seriously.

"You don't have to do it all by yourself. Just because it's your destiny, it doesn't mean that you can't have help fulfilling it. If things happen when the attack comes on camp, we will deal with it then. For now, let's go back to Rome and tell them what we've found out. All you can do it take things one step at a time and the next step is to help protect Rome because even if you don't think so, it's still your home. You may not be an actual Roman but you are a Legionnaire and it is your duty to do whatever is necessary to protect Rome and its people."

Percy stared into Reyna's dark obsidian eyes for a minute. He opened his mouth to respond when the tent flap from Frank's tent opened as he lumbered out interrupting Percy before he could reply. He gave the daughter of Bellona a stiff nod before snapping both his fingers and the tents immediately shrunk down into small pocket sized squares. He picked them up and tucked them in his pack before looking at his two companions.

"Let's go, we're wasting daylight."

Line Break

The trio returned to Camp Jupiter and was immediately ushered into an emergency meeting of the Senate. There they explained about the forthcoming attack on camp from the Titan's forces. They said they managed to capture an Empousai patrolling the outskirts of the mountain and persuaded her to divulge the plans of the Titans and their army.

The minute the meeting of the Senate ended, the entire city of New Rome went into pre-war mode. Shops and restaurants were boarded up. Some families with younger children evacuated to the nearby city of San Francisco while others moved into the inner part of the city where they were safest from a battle.

Veterans of the legion built up fortifications around the city and started drilling as they prepared to join the active members of the legion in the battle. The legion prepared for the battle as they built up fortifications and defenses on the Field of Mars; setting traps all around the outskirts and adding extra water cannons to repel an invasion force.

It was only three days later when the eagles spotted a massive army on the march from Mount Othrys and on a straight course for Camp Jupiter.

Lupa and her wolves slowed their journey, attacking the army in quick assaults when they could single out smaller factions and overwhelm them with the size and power of their pack.

But regardless of Lupa's help, the enemy army surged on, coming to within an hour's march of the outskirts of camp.

Percy and Jason stood in front of their cohort, both with calm demeanors that hid their unease. Percy wore Roman style armor for the most part with the addition of two gauntlets that went down his forearms and covered his knuckles, complete with imperial gold studs along the knuckles making them both a formidable weapon as well as a bad ass looking addition to his armor; gifts that appeared with his armor when he woke up, a gift from his mothers for the coming battle. He wore an identical helm to the rest of the legion, complete with a purple plume.

He looked to his left where Reyna stood in front of the First Cohort. She glanced at him as they locked eyes before she gave him a small, almost imperceptible smile and nod of encouragement. He didn't smile back but couldn't help but feel a little better knowing that no matter what happened, she would back him.

As the cohorts waited, the sound of a horn in the distance sent the legion into a state of alarm as they all waited for the monsters to appear on the other side of the Field of Mars.

Instead, a dozen teens and pre-teens wearing silver parkas appeared at the edge of the battlefield, making a beeline for the legion where the two praetors, Cassy and David went out to meet them.

The praetors exchanged a few words with a hunter before Cassy turned back to the legion, "Jack! You're needed here."

Jason and most of the legion sent Percy looks of confusion but he quickly marched to where the two praetors waited. When he reached them, he could help but smile when he saw who it was that was leading the hunters into Camp Jupiter.

"Zoë," he grinned. "You are a sight for sore eyes."

The immortal huntress have him a small smile, "Lady Diana sent what she could spare for the battle and asked me to lead them. She hopes this is a sufficient payment for the debt she and the rest of the hunters owe you."

Percy nodded his head quickly, "I believe we can call it more than even now."

The two praetors turned to Percy confused.

"Debt?" David asked with an eyebrow raised.

Before Percy had to make up a story on the fly, Zoë spoke for him.

"Before he came to Camp Jupiter, Jack saved one of Diana's hunters from a terrible fate. My lady felt that he was owed for his actions and his bravery and that protecting his home was a good way to repay him."

David nodded while Cassy smiled at Percy after hearing the story.

"Then the city of New Rome and the legion graciously accept Lady Diana's aide. You can set your hunters up in the fortress where you can provide aerial support during the battle." David explained to Zoë and her hunters.

Zoë nodded before catching Percy's eyes telling her to let him walk them to the fort. She caught on and nodded her head.

After being dismissed by the praetors, Percy led the dozen teens towards the fortress, Zoë at his side as they walked. Once out of earshot of his two commanding officers, Percy sent Zoë a questioning look.

"You told Artemis I was here?"

Zoë looked away and Percy could swear he could see a look of embarrassment on the normally uber confident huntress' face.

Zoë shook her head, "Apparently I am not as good a liar as I thought I was. Artemis said she could tell I was lying and searched my memories."

Percy raised an eyebrow.

"She wasn't mad. She understood why I kept it from her. She says she understands why you are here and respects your wish to remain away from her and the other gods. She gave me her word that none of the other Olympians will hear a word about you from her."

A look of relief crossed Percy's face, "Then I shall be in her debt moving forward."

Zoë gave him an amused look, "She was a little surprised by your choice in parentage though."

Percy smirked a bit, "I thought about coming as a son of Diana," Zoe sent him a glare making his smirk grow, "but that would have raised more questions than I wanted to answer." He chuckled.

Zoë's glare vanished and she cracked a smile, "I believe you would have had more than questions to answer when milady found out. Care to inform me why you chose Venus?"

He shrugged, "Respect is better when earned than given because of parentage."

Zoë could help but be a little impressed by his response. What little she knew of this foreign demigod she liked. He had saved her life twice and that was more than enough to earn her respect but he seemed quite different than most of the male demigods she knew.

"I think you are correct and I believe milady would agree as well. Do you know what to expect in this battle?"

She watched as Percy's expression turned from one of happiness to one of unease and nervousness. He turned to her with a serious expression.

"Scouts estimate their forces close to a thousand strong. Zoë, I need you to do something for me."

She was a little taken aback at how outnumbered the Romans were but nodded for him to tell her his request.

"When this battle starts, if you see something you've never seen before, I want you to pull back. If Hel sends monsters that you don't recognize, you cannot try to attack them. They cannot be killed by celestial bronze, imperial gold, or silver. If that happens, I want you to take your hunters and retreat. The fact you came to help means a lot to me and I won't have you lose a hunter in this battle if it can be prevented." He said as he pulled a small coin out of his pocket as held it out to the huntress.

Zoë looked at him confused as she took the strange coin.

"If things turn bad and the battle is lost, think about the place you feel safest. Gather your hunters close and imagine that place in your mind. It will only work once so you will only have one chance at it. But I need you to do that for me, please."

Zoë looked at the strange markings on the coin. Runes were inscribed on both sides of the coin. She tucked the coin in her pocket before looking back at Percy.

"If we have no other options, then I will get my hunters out of here, you have my word."

He looked relieved she agreed to his request.

"But we will not leave until we have to. We are here to help you Percy. I owe you more than I can ever repay you and I will not abandon you until all hope is lost." She said seriously.

He gave her a small smile as they reached the entrance of the fortress.

"Thank you Zoë." He said before turning and marching back towards the legion and where his cohort awaited the return of their second in command.

Just as Percy reached Jason's side, the squawking of eagle's overhead drew the entire legion's attention before the ground beneath them began to rumble slightly. They all looked across the Field of Mars where the front of the Titan's attack force appeared. They continued to march forward until their entire army was in sight, a force formidable enough to send a nervous murmur through the entire Roman Legion.

"There's got to be at least a thousand of them." Jason said nervously, forgetting any question he had for Percy about his apparent relationship with Diana's hunters.

"JUST MORE THINGS TO PLAY WITH!" Percy bellowed to his cohort but his words were heard by the entire legion as all eyes turned toward the second in command of the Fifth.

"THIS IS ROME DAMN IT! NO ONE WALKS INTO ROME TO ATTACK AND WALKS AWAY WITH THEIR LIVES! LET'S SHOW THESE UGLY SOB'S EXACTLY HOW FOOLISH IT WAS TO COME WITH ONLY A THOUSAND MONSTERS TO ATTACK THE GREATEST ARMY THIS WORLD HAS EVER SEEN! THIS IS ROME! NO ONE COMES INTO ROMAN TERRITORY AND PUSHES US AROUND!" Percy bellowed after noticing the eyes of the entire legion on him.

The sounds of swords and shields being smashed together reverberated throughout the entire legion and carried on to the ears of the approaching army as the Romans showed their approval.

"ROMANS!" Cassy yelled to the legion. "LET US MEET THEM HEAD ON! TO WAR! TO VICTORY! FOR ROME!" She screamed picking up where Percy left off.

The legion let out a roar of approval before they marched forward to meet their adversaries as far away from the borders of New Rome as possible.

Jason and Percy led their cohort forward just as the other centurions did until only a couple hundred yards separated the two armies.

"Give them a proper welcome to Rome Jason." Percy growled as he eyed the monsters in front of them.

Jason smiled as he raised his hand to the sky. Thunder rumbled overhead before a bolt of lightning dropped from the sky hitting the middle of the monster army incinerating a few Cyclops before the battle even started.

Jason smiled at his work before even louder thunder boomed in the sky before a larger bolt came down from the heavens and incinerated at least a half dozen more monsters and blasting even more off their feet.

Jason's eyes widened in confusion.

"Perhaps your father is showing his approval." Percy said after noticing Jason's look of confusion.

Before Jason could respond, the monster army barreled forward, straight at the tight Roman lines made up by the five cohorts. The veterans of the legion waited behind as guardians of the city and reinforcements to be called on when needed.

Jason slipped back into the cohort's lines but Percy did not follow his lead, slowly walking forward as hundreds of monsters closed in on them.

"Jack!" Jason yelled. "Get back here!"

If Percy heard him, he made no indication. Instead the Centurion of the Fifth slowly grew his gladius and pulled his shield off his back. He stopped walking as the monsters drew closer; fifty yards… forty yards… thirty yards… twenty yards…

Percy took two steps forward, spinning three hundred and sixty degrees before he flung his shield like the discus straight into the monster front lines where it slammed into the chest of a Laistrygonian Giant with enough force to knock the monster off its feet where it tripped up dozens of monsters as they tried to surge past it to reach the demigod army.

The hurdle was enough to slow their charge so the monsters lost all the momentum they had built up on the charge as the first Cyclops reached where Percy stood ten feet in front of his cohort. The one-eyed monster swung its club wildly at his head but missed as Percy ducked, slipping behind and slashing across the back of its legs sending it stumbling into the Romans where several waiting spears were driven through its body before it dissolved into golden dust.

Percy turned and drove a fist into the face of an Empousa as it tried to lunge at him with her fangs barred. The imperial golden studs made the punch a fatal one as she crumpled to the ground with a hiss before dissolving.

The sounds of battle resounded throughout the Field of Mars as all five cohorts were now locked in battle with the Titan army. Despite being in the middle of a battle, Percy couldn't help but grin when he saw only monsters that were from the Greek and Roman pantheons, at least so far.

Percy held his ground for a bit before allowing himself to be pushed back to his cohort where he soon found himself fighting by Jason's side. Other cohorts had up walls of shields as the monsters tried to break through time and again with differing rates of success. The fifth though was in a free for all with the monster army. Despite the fact they had two of the most skilled demigods in the legion as their leaders, it was a fact that the rest of their cohort was not the cream of the crop when it came to warriors on the battlefield. They were more than happy to let Percy, Jason and a couple others take the front lines while the rest did what they could, cleaning up the scraps from their two Centurions.

Reyna and the rest of the First Cohort held their line of shields together and turned aside charge after charge of the battalion of wild Centaurs that seemed to have been sent directly at them. Every time they held their ground and halted to monsters' surge, they would lower their shields, driving their spears and swords through the front lines of the monsters, dropping dozens before their shields snapped back together to prevent the monsters from breaking their lines. It was slow going but effective as they had yet to lose a legionnaire and dropped dozens of the enemy as could be seen by the growing mound of gold dust in front of their shield wall.

She glanced to her right where she saw Percy and Jason a few feet in front of the Fifth Cohort, their troops having abandoned any attempt at working together, instead going blow for blow with the enemy which seemed to consist of mostly Cyclops and Laistrygonian Giants, both strong and difficult monsters for the smaller demigods to fight.

She was in slight awe at the way Jason and Percy fought together, working together in perfect unison as they managed to handle a large amount of the enemy attacks despite it just being the two of them, with two other legionnaires; Gwen, a daughter of Ceres and Dakota, a son of Bacchus that seemed to working in tandem with the other duo. Frank stood at the back, firing arrows as fast as his fingers could load his bow and dropping or injuring as many monsters as possible before they reached Percy or Jason.

Jason's gladius crackled with electricity as he slid it across the stomach of a Cyclops who had his arms raised to attack 'Jack' while he fought off a Laistrygonian Giant. The monster convulsed as it dropped to its knees before Jason kicked it hard in the face sending it onto its back before dissolving. He turned only to freeze when he saw a gleaming imperial gold sword inches from his face.

Percy pulled the weapon out of the giant's stomach and slapped Jason lightly to snap him back to attention. The son of Jupiter shook his head and gave Percy a nod of thanks before jumping past Percy and kicking a lunging Hellhound of out midair at it tried to pounce on Percy's blindside. The hellish hound was met with a golden blade through the throat before it had time to pick itself up.

Zoë Nightshade stood at the top of the fortress, flanked by a half dozen hunters on each side of her as they fired arrows from their perch providing much needed aerial support to the badly outnumbered Roman army. Her dark eyes scanned the battlefield where the Second, Third and Forth Cohorts where being pushed back, their lines breaking repeatedly under the constant enemy assault. Reinforcements from the veterans of the legion continued to fill the ranks of the fallen but it did little to slow the enemy from forcing the legionnaires back, closer and closer to the city.

She looked at the first who were having far better success as was to be expected as they contained the best of the best from the legion. They were holding their ground, not pushing the enemy back but not giving up any ground either.

Then her eyes went to Percy and the rest of the Fifth Cohort. At first she panicked as it looked like they had been overrun but then she realized they were just not fighting together like the other cohorts. Instead, Percy and the other centurion were side by side and taking on any monster foolish enough to attack. Zoë didn't know who the other centurion was but she couldn't deny that he was a skilled fighter as he fought at the side of the demigod who managed to fight alongside her mistress against her father, the Titan Atlas years earlier. The two of them seemed to be incredibly in sync with each other, fighting off attackers while watching each other's backs. Despite the chaos that was around their small cohort, they were just as successful as the First in holding their ground, even if Jason and Percy seemed to be bearing the brunt of the load. They hadn't given an inch of ground to the enemy army as the two Centurions continue to fight on, both covered in a thin layer of monster dust as they refused to let up.

Jason thrust his gladius into the stomach of a Cyclops as the monsters started to surround him and Percy. Before he could even pull his blade free, Jason's world was turned upside down as he felt like a freight train hit him head on from the left, sending him flying back a few feet, his weapon being lost in the process.

Percy turned just in time to see a Laistrygonian Giant smash Jason' s unprotected flank and send him to the ground in a heap. Watching his friend possibly be killed flipped the switch in Percy's mind as thunder cracked so loudly overhead that both monsters and Romans flinched.

The thunder was followed by a monstrous bolt of lightning that dropped on Jason's attacker, disintegrating it and any monster in a five foot radius instantly. Percy used that as a chance to get to Jason's side as he stood protectively in front of his fallen friend as monsters stalked closer.

Before the first one could attack, Percy felt a second presence at his side. He turned and was a little surprised to see Frank standing there with his bow in hand.

"I know you'll probably never forgive me but I promise I'll do whatever I can to make what I did up to you. Even if it means I become the freak of the legion because of this."

Percy wasn't sure what Frank was talking about. But before he could reply, Frank's body stiffened and then glowed slightly.

If they weren't in the middle of a fight for their lives, Percy might have shit himself at what he saw. Frank's body suddenly transformed from the pudgy Asian kid to a nine hundred pound grizzly bear!

The monstrous mammal turned to Percy and he could swear he could see a look of apology in the giant creature's eyes before it turned to the approaching monsters and its eyes flashed into a blood thirsty look.

Frank bounded forward, the primal instincts of the animal seeming to take over as he swiped a massive paw across the stomach of a Cyclops, emptying its entrails on the ground before he turned and batted down a brave Hellhound trying to lunge at him. The minute the hound hit the ground, Frank's jaws clamped onto its throat before snapping it with ease. Frank's head snapped up to see the monsters paused in front of him, unsure of what to do before he stood up on two legs and let a thunderous roar out, all the pain and anguish that the demigod had felt over the past week behind it as the monsters tried to backtrack.

As Frank single handedly held off the monsters, Percy managed to get a few of the legionnaires of the cohort to drag Jason back behind their lines to get medical help. Once he knew Jason was safe, he turned back to Frank who stood at his full grizzly height, daring the monsters to come at him.

It seemed the monsters thought better of it though as a line of Empousai stepped forward with crossbows in hand and aimed at Frank.

A few managed to get off shots before they froze as the middle monster was suddenly driven face first into the ground. When the others looked up, they saw an enraged Roman holding a massive hammer that seemed to radiate raw power.

Percy heard Frank's pained yelps before sprinting forward, his mind going into autopilot as he willed his greatest asset into his hands as slammed it into the top of the head of an Empousa as she prepared to fire at Frank who already had arrows sticking out from his chest and arms.

Before any of the others could recover, he attacked. He swung Mjolnir in a massive uppercut as it crushed the jaw of one monster before he spun and slammed it into the side of the head of a second, both dropping to the ground and dissolving into golden dust.

Percy turned to see a Cyclops stalking toward Frank as he hurled his weapon, catching the monster in the spine and dropping it to the ground in a heap before Mjolnir flew back into his hand just in time to smash a Hellhound's head into the ground as it lunged at him. Percy turned, lightning dancing across his eyes as he felt his weapon's power coursing through his body.

Before the next monster could attack, he hurled Mjolnir straight into the front of the monster lines. It carved a path of death and destruction before stopping and returning to its master who waited with excitement for the next attack. The feeling of wielding his father's hammer in the middle of a battle invigorated the Norse demigod as he forgot about his cover and anyone else around him. He saw only red as he waited for his next victim, the next fool to feel the wrath of the greatest weapon ever created.

A few monsters charged tentatively but their delay gave Percy the perfect opening as he dropped down into a crouch, slamming Mjolnir into the knee of a Dracaena, knocking its legs out from under him and face planting into the ground.

Percy jumped up, taking care to stomp especially hard on the monster's neck as he spun around and drove his fist into the face of an Empousa trying to attack his blindside before he brought Thor's mighty hammer down on the dazed monster and crushing its skull into the ground.

A spear flew in from his left as Percy rolled forward to avoid being impaled and found himself at the feet of a Laistrygonian Giant. Taking the opening the monster gave him, he brought Mjolnir up in a fierce uppercut that ended in the monster's coin purse, dropping him to his knees before his eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed to the ground.

The sound a labored breathing finally broke the son of Thor out of his bloodlust. He turned to see Frank back in his human form, an arrow sticking out of his chest along with one in his right arm. Despite everything that happened, Percy couldn't stand to see Frank like that. Thunder boomed overhead before lightning dropped from the sky, several bolts that blasted back the front of monster army and sending the rest retreating back away from the fifth.

Percy turned to see his cohort staring at him in shock. He knew they had questions but now was not the time for that.

"GO! Reinforce the other cohorts! NOW!" He snapped. "I need two children of Apollo to help me with Frank."

The legionnaires snapped to attention at the command of their sole standing centurion as the majority ran off to reinforce the other cohorts. Two blonde haired boys approached Percy as he knelt next to Frank whose breathing was strained and his skin was pale.

The two sons of Apollo knelt next to Frank as they took a look at the arrow in his chest.

"It's in his lung." One said looking at Percy.

"Will he die?"

The other son of Apollo shook his head, "No but it is why his breathing is labored. We need to get him back to the medical tent so we can re-inflate the lung. Just cover us."

Percy nodded and stood protectively in front as the Apollo camper unrolled something out of his pack that quickly elongated into a stretcher that they carefully slipped Frank onto. Within a minute, the two medics were carting Frank off to the back of the battle leaving Percy standing alone before he took off to find a cohort in need of his help.

-x-

The battle raged on for hours.

Every time the Romans managed to push back the onslaught, it seemed reinforcements would pour in, filling the monster ranks as they fought with renewed vigor. Both sides had sustained losses. The monsters had more but the Roman ones were far more devastating as their reinforcements were limited to the one hundred or so veterans from the legion.

Percy moved from battle to battle, jumping between the cohorts when he saw one in need of help. Jason had recovered and rejoined the battle shortly after regaining consciousness and stuck with the second as they struggled to hold their ground.

Soon the legion was within fifty yards of the gates to the city of New Rome.

The water cannons and hunters' arrows helped to slow the monsters' assault but the battle was still going badly for the legion.

Percy spun away from a lunging Hellhound before dropping onto his stomach as a Cyclops club came across aimed at taking his head off. He rolled forward, slashing at the back of the Cyclop's leg dropping it to a knee. He jumped to his feet to finish the monster off when its head was lopped clean off its body, landing at Percy's feet.

He looked up to see Reyna, weary from battle and bleeding from a few minor injuries standing over the dissolving monster's body.

"We're losing," she said worriedly as she parried the attack of a dracaena before stepping inside its guard and driving her blade into its throat.

Percy shook his head as he sidestepped an arrow flying towards him, "We haven't lost yet. There's still time to turn this around."

Reyna jammed her sword into the open maw of the Hellhound before jumping back to Percy's side as they stood side by side waiting for the next wave of attackers.

"We won't last much longer, they have us on the ropes."

Percy wanted to say that things would be fine but he knew they wouldn't. She was right. They were on the ropes and another hour of this and the city would be breached. He thought about pulling out Mjolnir again but even if he used all the demigod powers he had, they were too badly outnumbered. They didn't need one powerful demigod to turn the tide, they needed numbers, something they didn't have and had no way of getting. They had simply lost too many soldiers to hold their ground for much longer.

He was broken out of his thoughts as Reyna spoke again, a look of confusion on her face as she did.

"What are they doing? They're not attacking."

Percy looked up to find she was right. The monsters had pulled back and waited about fifty yards away. They still had a good five hundred or so monsters while the legion had lost half its force to injuries that were either fatal or kept them off the battlefield.

"This can't be a sign of anything good." Percy muttered.

As if on cue, the army of monsters parted and something new stalked towards the legion. The undeniable stench of decay filled the air as the legion tried to regroup and reform their broken lines. Reyna looked at Percy whose skin was pale white.

"What are they Percy?"

The son of Thor didn't respond right away, just staring ahead and hoping against hope that by some miracle he was wrong. When they didn't vanish, he knew they had lost.

"Draugr," he said in a defeated tone.

Reyna looked nervous at the sight of his fear.

"What are they and how can we kill them? There must be something we can do."

Percy shook his head solemnly, "There are only two ways to kill them; decapitation and incineration. But there are too many and they are too quick and strong for it to be possible. They'll rip us to shreds before we can take down the first fifty."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Reyna snapped, panicking a little at the thought of Rome falling.

Percy didn't respond. There had to be close to two hundred of the undead warriors. The Romans looked at the creatures warily but waited for the order from their commanders to attack. Before any such command could be issued, a new voice resounded over the entire battlefield.

"Perseus Jackson! Come forth, son of Thor and perhaps I will spare you're little Roman friends."

The Draugr came to a sudden halt as the air in front of them seemed to shimmer a bit until a tall being, half-woman and half-skeleton appeared out of nothingness, holding a staff with a skull atop it.

The legion let out a nervous murmur as they were confused about who this Perseus Jackson the being was calling for could be.

The two praetors stepped forward, away from the Roman lines before Percy could stop them.

"We do not know this Perseus Jackson you seek." David said sternly but the nervousness was evident in his voice.

Hel turned to the male Praetor with a look of annoyance.

"I don't remember asking for you to speak child." She hissed before pointing her staff towards him and unleashing a blast of red energy that caught the Praetor in the chest and knocked him back, dead before he even hit the ground.

Cassie looked at her fallen fellow Praetor in horror before he pulled out her gladius, looking at the goddess with a look of rage on her face.

"Stop!" Percy yelled loudly making Cassie freeze and look at him confused.

He shook his head and looked at Reyna who looked panicked.

"I'm sorry Reyna but I can't allow her to kill all of you. Especially not you, in case you missed it, I've kind of grown attached." He said finishing with a small smile before he turned towards Hel and stepped forward, his image shimmering into his real features. Mjolnir appeared in his hand as he walked away from Reyna and the rest of the legion who all looked at him in disbelief.

"You wanted me, here I am." He spat as the sky darkened and Mjolnir glowed slightly with power.

Hel gave an amused smile, "Now there's no need for that dearest cousin. I came all the way here to say hello."

Percy narrowed his eyes, "What do you want? If you want a fight then I shall give you one. But get rid of your pets first and leave these demigods alone."

Hel twirled her staff in her hand as she walked towards Percy.

"So brave, willing to give up your life for a bunch of Romans. You must make Daddy so proud." She said mockingly as she approached Percy, slowly walking a circle around him, a look of evil glee on her face.

Percy turned, making sure to keep his eyes on her always.

"Let Rome be. If they are to fall to the Titans then so be it, but not today. You want me, then get rid of the monsters and Draugr and I will do as you wish."

Hel stopped in front of him, putting her skeletal hand on his cheek and patting in a condescending way that made Percy's skin crawl.

"You know what cousin? I think your terms are agreeable. Rome will fall just as those Greeks will. Sure I could wipe them out today but I think removing you from the chess board will be victory enough for me."

Percy gripped Mjolnir so tight his knuckles were white. Hel turned to the Draugr and snapped her fingers as they all turned into wisps of smoke and sunk into the ground.

"And the rest of the monsters?" Percy growled.

Hel rolled her eyes and turned to the monsters, slamming her staff in the ground as a crack opened up in the ground in the middle of the monster army as they fell into the earth before the crack closed itself up as if it were never there.

As the crack closed itself up, Percy reared back to deliver a devastating blow with Mjolnir when Hel spun back, slamming her staff into the ground in front of him as the ground opened and appeared to swallow Percy up before he could react.

Reyna screamed when Percy dropped into the ground. She sprinted forward, forgetting about the powerful Norse goddess standing on the other side of the crevice with a smile on her face.

When she reached the crack, Reyna slid onto her knees after seeing Percy holding onto the edge for dear life.

"Percy! Grab my hand!"

Percy managed to look behind him, "No Reyna! Go back!" He pleaded before a look of horror appeared on his face.

"Well this must be his little girlfriend and the reason he's so protective of this pathetic little camp." Hel said from behind Reyna. Before the demigoddess could turn around, Hel made a shooing motion with her hand as Reyna was blown forward and into the crevice. "Well to Tartarus with your girlfriend too I guess." Hel said grinning.

Percy looked up at her with a burning hatred in his eyes, "Pray I never make it out of this pit because I promise I will make you suffer for this. I will kill you."

Hel's look of amusement vanished.

"Perhaps it will be best to kill you then. I was going to let you die slowly down in that Greek hell but maybe it will be better to know you're dead right now."

Percy glanced down into the hole that Reyna had fallen into and then back at Hel, his lips quirking into a smirk as he did, "Oh, well will you look at that." He said glancing down into the abyss. Hel followed his eyes unsure what he meant.

"There go all my spare fucks right down to Tartarus." He said smiling before pushing off and letting himself fall into the abyss, flipping off the Norse goddess the whole way down.


	15. Things are Peachy, Thanks for Asking

Ch. 15  
Last Chapter…  
Hel's look of amusement vanished.   
"Perhaps it will be best to just kill you then. I was going to let you die slowly down there but maybe it will be better to know you're dead."  
Percy glanced down into the hole that Reyna had fallen into and then back at Hel, his lips quirking into a smirk as he did, "Oh, well will you look at that." He said glancing down into the abyss.   
Hel followed his eyes unsure what he meant.  
"There go all my spare fucks right down to Tartarus." He said smiling before pushing off and letting himself fall into the abyss, flipping off the Norse goddess the whole way down.  
Now…  
The minute the view of the world above disappeared from sight, Percy had an epiphany.  
This might not have been the most intelligent decision of his life.  
He pushed those thoughts from his mind though as he remembered the look on Reyna's face when she was thrown headfirst into the pit before him. It was a mixture of surprise, fear and acceptance, like she figured out her death was imminent.  
Not if he had a say in the matter.  
He managed to turn himself around in the air so he could look below where he hoped he would see Reyna. But his eyes only found what looked like endless darkness; a never-ending abyss that was swallowing him whole.  
He willed Mjolnir back into a bracelet and tucked his limbs tight against his body, increasing the speed of his fall and he now dove headfirst into the abyss.  
The fall seemed endless. He couldn't keep track of time as he fell. It might have been minutes, or hours or even days for all he knew. The only thing he knew was that he was falling with unbelievable speed as he wondered exactly how far down this Greek hell was down there. Just as he was starting to lose hope of catching Reyna before she reached the bottom, the glint of silver armor caught his eye.  
Once in sight, it only took a few seconds to catch up to the demigoddess before he spread his legs and arms, using the resistance of the air to slow him down to a pace similar to Reyna's.  
"Fancy meeting a pretty girl like you in a dump like this," he said smiled, not able to see the look on Reyna's face.  
The daughter of Bellona's eyes snapped open and widened when she laid eyes on Percy falling beside her. She wiped away the few tears that had slipped out of her eyes as she fell to what she thought would be her unavoidable death.  
Before she could respond Percy grabbed her arm, pulling her over to him where he put an arm around her waist to make sure they didn't get separated again.  
"Percy, we're going to die when we reach the bottom. We'll never survive the fall."  
The son of Thor pulled her a little closer as he leaned down to her ear to make sure she could hear him over the sounds of the air rushing past them on their descent.  
"I would never let that happen. Not to you. Not while I was still breathing." He whispered in her ear before he kissed her softly on the cheek and held out the hand not around Reyna's waist. Mjolnir appeared in it, glowing like a beacon in the suffocating darkness around them. He held the weapon above his head and held on to Reyna tightly as they suddenly slowed their fall dramatically.  
A look of relief crossed Reyna's features as held onto Percy tightly.  
"Can you fly us out of here?"  
He shook his head, "No. There is no opening above us anymore. The sky is my father's domain and I can feel it when it is above me. Whatever opening we fell through has been closed up."  
Reyna's face fell a little as she glanced below them only to find more darkness. A thought crossed her mind as her head snapped back up to Percy.  
"Why didn't you just fly out from the start then? Before she could close off the entrance."  
Percy looked away from her for a minute, "That was my original plan."  
Reyna just looked at him expectantly.  
"Until you fell in."  
Her eyes widened as she realized that she was the reason Percy was stuck down here in the first place; that he could have escaped if she hadn't foolishly let down her guard and be forced into the crevice.  
She opened her mouth to apologize when Percy's head turned back to her looking deathly serious.  
"This is not your fault. You tried to help me. Do not apologize. I jumped in of my own free will."  
Reyna opened her mouth but then closed it; she was unsure of what to say. These situations were not exactly a specialty of hers. She thought about what Percy said and realized something; he jumped into Tartarus, for her. He jumped into the worst place in existence because it was where she was.  
Without thinking any more about it, Reyna's hands moved from around his waist to around his neck before she kissed him deeply, forgetting the fact that they were falling to the most dangerous place for a living demigod to be on the planet.  
Percy quick got over his surprise as he used his hand around her waist to pull Reyna closer. As the kiss started to deepen, Reyna suddenly pulled back, a look of panic on her face.  
Percy shook his head as their fall slowed again. He smiled sheepishly, "Um, sorry. I, uh, got a little distracted."  
Reyna's cheeks turned a little red but she smiled a little at the fact she had the ability to make him forget the fact they were falling into Tartarus with just a kiss. She kept her arms around his neck as they continued to fall at a slower pace into the abyss. She refused to look down again, keeping her face buried in his chest as she thought about anything but their fall.  
"I wonder how far it is to the bottom." She said still not glancing down below them.  
"Well, Hesiod estimated it would take nine days to fall from the Earth to Tartarus." Percy answered thoughtfully until he saw the look of fear on Reyna's face. "But, he was just a Greek, and you know how those Greeks are so dramatic." He continued happy to see Reyna's lips twitch a little at his comment.  
After a few minutes, she felt Percy stiffen. She looked up to find him looking below them.  
"We're coming to the end I think." Percy said in a wary tone.  
Reyna forced herself to look down as the chute they were falling through opened into a vast cavern. Red clouds hung in the air, clouds that looked like they were made from vaporized blood. Despite how much she wanted to keep up her usual fearless face, she couldn't help but shiver nervously at the thought of what waited for them. The tempature became unbearably hot and the air smelled terribly like sulfur, almost to the point of feeling suffocating.  
Reyna looked around, trying to gather as much information as she could about their surrounding while she had the chance. The landscape was dark, filled with what looked like black and rocky plains with a series of jagged mountains and fiery chasms.  
Percy slowed their descent to a crawl as their feet touched down. They both looked around wildly, half expecting an attack the minute they set foot in the pit.  
The only thing the two new inhabitants of Tartarus found was a deafening silence. Nothing stirred around them. No monsters. No other prisoners of the pit. Nothing. Just a silence that made the duo more nervous than they would have been had found a battalion of monsters waiting to rip them apart limb by limb.  
Percy grabbed Reyna's hand and pulled her along, wanting to get away from the place of their entrance before anyone noticed them. The truth was he knew a bit about Tartarus but never expecting to actually end up there limited the amount of effort he put into learning about it.  
The area around them was dark, rocky and hot. Fires burned randomly on seemingly inflammable objects like rocks and dirt.  
Well, welcome to perdition Percy Jackson, he thought humorlessly.  
The two demigods didn't make it far before a few Cyclops lumbered out of a rocky outcrop towards them, stopping in shock when they laid eyes on the two demigods standing alone and looking nervous.  
"Dinner!" One of the giant one-eyed ogres said with a crooked toothed grin.  
"Dinner!" The other two agreed looking at the two teens like they were a tasty steak laid out just for them.  
"Percy, I don't have my gladius." Reyna muttered as she stood behind him as Mjolnir hung in his hand at his side.  
Percy didn't respond right away, his eyes on the monsters while glancing around, expecting more monsters to come lurking out of the shadows.  
"You know, I always wondered something." He said looking at the Cyclops with his head tilted to the side a little.  
The monsters smiled, "What little demigod snack?" One grunted back at him.  
Percy smiled back, "Well, when I smash you into a pulp on Earth, you dissolve into dust. What do you turn into when I kill you down here?"  
The closest monster opened his mouth to reply when Percy threw Mjolnir at the monster's bare foot crushing it under the weight of the mighty hammer. The monster howled in in pain and reached down to check his foot but Mjolnir was already back in Percy's hand as he lunged forward swinging a fierce uppercut that caught the monster in the jaw and sent blood and teeth flying everywhere.  
Percy turned and ducked under the swiping hand of another Cyclops, slipping behind and smacking the back of the monster's knee with his weapon as he turned to the third and hurled Mjolnir at his chest sending him flying backwards and Mjolnir flew back into his hand. He spun and smashed it into the back the second Cyclop's head before he could rise from a knee.  
Percy looked down to see the two dead Cyclops lying in motionless heaps, blood oozing from their heads before they burst into clouds of dust and settled onto the tough terrain below them.  
"Well I guess that answers that question."  
He looked up to see the last Cyclops groaning and starting to stir a few yards away. He quickly ran towards it, unsheathing a dagger he kept at his ankle. Before the monster could realize what was going on, he pinned it down with foot to the throat before driving the blade through the top of its skull.  
He pulled the weapon free, wiping the blood off on the Cyclop's tattered clothing before turning back to Reyna who was on a knee and looking like she was having a tough time.  
That was when it hit him.  
He was in pain.  
His lungs felt like they were on fire. Every breath he took was excruciating. He hadn't realized it while fighting the Cyclops but the very air he was breathing was toxic, each breath weakening him and making him want to curl up into a ball and die. His skin burned continuously. The air was so hot, sticky and sulfuric that it was making him feel like he was being boiled alive.  
He shook off his pain and quickly his way over to Reyna who was obviously feeling the same discomfort he was.  
"Percy, we're not going to survive for very long down here."  
Percy didn't answer. He knew she was right. They wouldn't survive these conditions very long at all. He could see the blisters forming on Reyna's skin and knew his skin looked the same. They needed to find somewhere safe and sustainable for human life.  
His mind drifted to what his mothers had taught him about Tartarus, trying to think if there was a safe place inside this Greek hell. But his eyes just drifted around at the utterly desolate place surrounding them. All he could see was the dark cliffs and mountains and a lot of fire.  
Fire, he thought. That seemed like something important. Then he shook it off trying to think of something useful.  
Fire.   
The back of his mind kept repeating the word, as if trying to force it into the thick and slow consciousness that controlled his mind at the moment.  
Fire.  
"FIRE!" He yelled loudly making Reyna yelp before glaring at him.  
"Yes, I can see the fire. Thank you for that."  
Percy shook his head, "No, we need fire."  
Reyna raised an eyebrow and part of her wondered if he had already lost it. Yes, that was what they needed, more fire.  
A smile spread across his lips.  
"Not just fire. We need a river of fire to be exact."  
Reyna contemplating slapping him to knock him back to reality but he continued before she got the chance.  
"The Phlegethon River," he explained. "The river of fire. We need to find it and soon."  
Reyna just stared at him. "Why is this river important for us to find?"  
He held out his hand for Reyna to grab, "Because we'll die if we don't. Please just trust me."  
Reyna looked up into his eyes as she reached up and grabbed his hand firmly in her own.   
Percy smiled a bit and pulled the daughter of Bellona to her feet. She stumbled a little but he grabbed and steadied her before she could fall. He kept a hold of her hand to make sure she stayed upright... Well, that, and he kind of liked the feeling of her hand in his but he decided it was because she looked ready to keel over and die any second and that would not be happening when he was around.  
The walked in the direction the Cyclops had come from, hoping it was the correct direction but for all he knew, Percy could be walking both of them to their certain deaths in the completely opposite direction the Phlegethon was in.  
After about fifteen minutes, they reached a cliff. Percy had Reyna wait as he peered over the edge. The minute his eyes landed on what was below, a blast of heated caused him to stagger back a few steps. Despite his shock, he smiled a little; they had found it.  
But as he peeked his head over again and his smile vanished at what he saw. The river was down below alright but there was an eighty foot cliff that separated them from the bottom of the canyon. He looked down at Mjolnir which seemed to have a slight glow to it in the dark light of Tartarus. He knew he should be able to fly them down to the bottom of the canyon but his blurry vision and the constant pain on his skin and in his lungs worried him. It wasn't Mjolnir that did the flying. No, it simply provided the magic needed to do it without the aid of the winds. The flying was done by him and the thought of trying to fly him and Reyna to the bottom without losing his concentration once was not something he was eager to try.  
He looked back at Reyna to find her on a knee. She didn't look good. Her skin was covered in boils that bled and oozed painfully. Her usually strong and beautiful face looked broken, like the mere thought of standing was enough to make her want to give up. He knew he looked similar but he had more strength than she did at the moment. The glowing hammer in his hand was providing him with more energy than he should have at the moment. The weapon contained so much raw power that it literally energized its wielder simply by holding it.  
He looked back over the edge, this time more frantically as he searched for a way down the cliff. A few feet to his left was a small ledge that might be enough for one person to stand on if they stayed on their toes. He turned back to Reyna who was now on her butt, her eyes half shut as she struggled to stay awake.  
Percy reached into his pocket where he always carried extra ambrosia in case he needed a quick pick me up. He unwrapped it and frowned when he saw how much he had left after having eaten some during the battle when weariness threatened to overtake him. He shook his head and took that rest of it and made his way over to Reyna, cupping her chin in his hand. Her eyes opened slightly at the contact before a smile appeared on her lips.  
"Hey," she said sleepily.  
He couldn't help but smile back a little, she was cute when she was out of it.  
"I'm going to get you out of here. Open your mouth Reyna."  
Reyna's head turned to the side before a mischievous smile appeared on her weary lips, "You know, you could have at least gotten me a drink before trying to take advantage of me."  
Percy's eyes went wide. That was about the last thing he ever expected to come out of Reyna's mouth of all people. He shook his head and smiled a bit, "We can save that for later now that I see what you're really after."  
Reyna opened her mouth to respond when Percy stuffed the rest of his ambrosia in her mouth. She was surprised at first but when the taste finally registered, her eyes closed and she sighed deeply as she chewed on the godly food, feeling its magic start to work on her many painful sores and restore some of her energy, even if it was just a quick burst.  
Her eyes snapped open and landed on Percy before she winced a little at the look of his skin. A thin layer of ash covered his skin that was only broken from where the blood oozed from boils and other painful symptoms of the air down in Tartarus.  
"Let's move. This is going to be difficult." Percy said standing up.  
"You should eat some too then. You look like hell." She replied standing up as well.  
Percy shook his head, "I'm fine. We should just get moving before we run into any more monsters. We need to get down to those cliffs and it's going to be anything but easy."  
Reyna opened her mouth to argue before she stopped herself. She looked down at her skin and noticed that while it looked a lot better than his, the boils were starting to come back.  
"You don't have any more, do you?" She asked pretty sure he had just given her the last of his ambrosia and taking none for himself.  
Percy didn't answer. He walked to the edge of the canyon and found the ledge jutting out before Mjolnir vanished from his hand. He felt his energy drop instantly but he tried not to show it. Reyna stood next to him looking down at the cliffs with a pale white face.  
"I can't make it down there." She said nervously.  
Percy raised an eyebrow, "Yes you can, you have to. We'll die up here if we don't."  
Reyna shook her head, "No Percy, I can't. I..." she paused. "I don't like heights." She said quietly.  
Percy turned to her and saw her look of embarrassment. He frowned a bit. Sure this wasn't really an ideal fear to have at the moment but everyone has fears.  
"I don't like cats."  
Reyna froze. "What?"  
"They freak me out. I think it's the eyes. They're just plain creepy."  
Reyna just stared for a second before a laugh escape her lips. It was soon followed by others before she was openly laughing at him. He looked less than pleased at her laughter and glared at her.  
"I'm sorry," she said between laughs. "It's just, you never seem scared of anything but now you tell me you're scared of cute and cuddly little pets. I can't help it, it's funny."  
Percy just continued glaring until her laughter finally died down.  
"Can we go now?"  
Reyna's face lost its humor again. Before she could speak though, he did.  
"Do you trust me Reyna?"  
She tilted her head in question.  
"It's a simple question. Do you trust me or don't you?"  
She waited a second as she thought about it before nodding, "I trust you Percy, with my life."  
He nodded, "Good, then get on my back."  
Reyna's eyes widened a bit, "What?"  
"I'm going to get us down to that river before we're dead. You don't like heights, then get on my back and don't look down."  
"But you're weak right now, what if you fall because of me."  
His eyes narrowed slightly, "Get on my back. I need you to trust me. I won't fall.”  
She still looked unsure but when turned and knelt down a little, she pushed those thoughts out of her mind. She did trust Percy Jackson. He might have been the first person she truly trusted since leaving Circe's Island all those years ago but she was sure she did in fact trust him. She climbed onto his back, wrapping her arms around her neck before he stood up, stumbling for just a second before he caught himself and stood up straight.  
"Hold on with your legs, I need my hand to get us down."  
Reyna legs tightly wrapped around his waist as Percy got to the ledge, carefully getting down to the ledge below it as his hands were cut up as he held onto the jagged walls of the cliff. It was a painful and slow process but Percy shimmied his way across the ledge until he found another below that he managed to drop down to, Reyna's face buried in the crook of his neck as she tried to imagine herself anywhere but on a ledge inside Tartarus with a river made of fire below them to cushion their fall. She felt slightly embarrassed at the way she was acting. She had been pretty much useless since they fell into the pit while Percy had been strong, protecting them both and even sacrificing the last of his ambrosia so she could have the strength to stand. Now he was literally carrying her down the ledge while he was worse off than her at the moment, at least physically.  
She pushed her face a little tighter into his neck as she felt him drop down to another lower ledge. She vowed to make this up to him. She would be stronger the rest of their journey. Forget that their chances of escaping her slim to none at the moment, she would be strong for Percy the rest of the way. She knew how tough he was but she knew he would only be able to take so much. Tartarus was designed to break people and not even Percy would be immune to its effects. When the time came when he stumbled, she would be there to pick him, just like he had done for her.  
She heard Percy grunt in pain before a feeling of panic rose up in her chest as the sensation of free-falling reached her. She hugged her body even tighter to his as she prepared to die. If she was about to die, she could think of worse ways to go. Her body was tightly wrapped around this handsome and powerful demigod. But before she could think any more about death, they hit the ground, Percy's knees giving out when they did but he managed to make sure he fell on his chest, protecting Reyna from the impact.  
Once she realized she was fine, she detached herself from Percy who groaned a little from the ground. She rolled him over and gasped when she saw the shards of black glass imbedded in his hands and arms. His wounds bled along with his sores as the majority of his body was covered with his own blood. His fingers were bloodied messes from hold them both up on the ledges as he made his way down.  
"Percy?" She asked tentatively.  
His eyes snapped open and landed on Reyna before a look of relief crossed his face when he saw she was uninjured. His mouth was painfully dry and he felt lightheaded from the effort of carrying them both down the ledges; the loss of blood wasn't helping things either.  
"See, I told you we'd make it." He teased but his voice was hoarse and she could imagine how painful it was for him to even get the words out.  
"We're here. What do we do now?"  
He turned his head, his eyes landing on the river beside them. The thing about the river he mentioned and wasn't sure about until now, it wasn't really a river. Well it was but not of water. It was literally a river of fire. He felt stupid just thinking the words he was about to tell her but he had to hope he was right.  
"Now we drink from the river."  
He would have laughed at her face if he had the strength. She looked at him incredulously.  
"It's fire. You can't drink fire. And besides that, why would we want to?"  
He forced himself to sit up, "This river starts in the Underworld and flows down into Tartarus. It's not just called the River of Fire but also the River of Healing. It is used in the Underworld on the subjects in the Fields of Punishment. They force those stuck in punishment to drink from it so they can survive their eternal torments."  
Reyna's eyes were wide as she stared at him, "How do you know all that?"  
He sighed, "My training included learning as much about Greek and Roman mythology as possible. I used to hate it but now I see it wasn't a waste of time at all, this is our only hope if we are to survive down here. It should heal us and allow us to survive in these conditions."  
She glanced back at the river, her face showing doubt, "How do we drink fire though?"  
He shrugged, "I'm guessing like we do water. Only one way to find out though."   
He crawled over to the river, the heat blistering his skin as he reached the edge. He looked back at Reyna whose expression was nervous before he thrust both his hands into the fire, surprised when it was actually cold instead of hot. Before the pain could hit him, he brought the substance to his lips and poured it into his mouth.  
He had a similar epiphany to the one he had when falling into Tartarus as he wondered if he should start questioning his own judgment.  
The fire was anything but cold as it slid down his throat and into his stomach. He felt like his entire body was engulfed in flames. His stomach and throat burned as he was burned from the inside out. His body began to shake violently and he coughed as his body tried to make him vomit this toxic substance. Reyna was at his side but could do nothing but watch as his body convulsed. After a few seconds though, the pain began to subside and his body relaxed. He looked at his skin to see the rash and sores healing up. He stopped coughing and caught his breath, the air no longer burning his lungs with every breath he took.  
"Are you okay?"  
He nodded slowly, "It works. You need to do the same."  
Reyna looked unsure. She glanced at the river and then back at Percy whose body was completely healed now.  
"What's it like?"  
"Think about what it would be like to drink molten lava." He said as Reyna paled. "Then add an excessive amount of hot sauce and you'll have the taste."  
"Sounds lovely." She muttered but steeled her nerves. She was a Roman Centurion and if this was what she needed to do, she would not shy away from it. She looked at the river again before mentally saying screw it.  
She thrust her hands into the river and did exactly as Percy had done. Her reaction mimicked Percy's perfectly. He waited patiently as her body adjusted to the substance and then watched as her wounds healed. After a few minutes, she composed herself.  
"Well that was pleasant." She said dryly.  
Percy nodded as those were his thoughts as well. He offered her a hand which she took gratefully as he pulled her to her feet.  
"So where to now?" She asked.  
Percy looked upriver and then down. He thought about their best option before he pointed downriver.  
"It is said to impossible to climb out of Tartarus." Reyna looked less than excited by those words. "But," he continued. "There are supposedly doors leading back into the world above."  
Reyna looked surprised but waited for him to continue.  
"They're called the Doors of Death and they're not going to be very easy to find or to escape from but I think it's our only chance. They'll be somewhere deep inside the pit."  
Reyna thought about what he said and slowly nodded, "Then downriver it is. We need to get back to the mortal world as there's a certain Norse goddess I'd like to run through for throwing us down here."  
Percy smiled, "My thoughts exactly. Shall we?"  
Reyna gave him a small smile back and nodded.  
Percy reached down to his ankle and pulled out the dagger sheathed there, holding it out for Reyna.  
"This is all I have other than Mjolnir. Perhaps we can find better weapons inside but this will have to do for now."  
Reyna took the blade, grateful to have something to defend herself with and tucked it in at her waist. She turned to walk downriver at Percy's side when she felt something slip into her hand. She looked down to see Percy's hand holding hers, their fingers laced together. She smiled a little at the sight as they began their trek through Tartarus knowing it would be the hardest of their lives. They were both comforted by the fact they had each other though; it was something to keep them going; something to ensure they never lost hope, something to hold onto in a place where hope didn't belong.  
"Did you know Frank can turn into a grizzly bear?"


	16. Tartarus' Spirit Squad

Ch. 16

Last Chapter….

Percy reached down to his ankle and pulled out the dagger sheathed there, holding it out for Reyna.

"This is all I have other than Mjolnir. Perhaps we can find better weapons inside but this will have to do for now."

Reyna took the blade, grateful to have something to defend herself with and tucked it in at her waist. She turned to walk downriver at Percy's side when she felt something slip into her hand. She looked down to see Percy's hand holding hers, their fingers laced together. She smiled a little at the sight as they began their trek through Tartarus knowing it would be the hardest of their lives. They were both comforted by the fact they had each other though; it was something to keep them going; something to ensure they never lost hope, something to hold onto in a place where hope didn't belong.

"Did you know Frank can turn into a grizzly bear?"

Now…

Reyna stopped walking, "What?"

Percy tried not to laugh, "Yeah, when Jason got hurt, Frank came out, morphed into this huge grizzly bear and laid the smack down on some monsters until he took a few arrows in the midsection. It was awesome until he got hurt. But he'll live at least."

Reyna was at a rare loss for words. She didn't even know where to begin so she just shook her head, "Of course he did. Why not? I'm walking through Tartarus with a son of Thor and Frank turns into animals. Just a normal day in what has become my life since I met you."

Percy smirked a bit, "Hey, it's perfectly normal to be in a little shock, I'm a heavy dose of awesome to take in all at once."

Reyna rolled her eyes but a smile tugged at her lips when she felt Percy squeeze her hand softly. Sure they were in Tartarus and things couldn't really get much worse, but despite it all, things weren't entirely bad. She couldn't really deny how she felt about Percy anymore and having him there with her made it all a little better. She wished they were walking through the streets of New Rome instead of along the banks of the River of Fire, but it would do, for now at least.

They walked for what felt like hours, making their way through the black shards of glass that lined the river and through narrow passages as carefully as they could. The terrain was treacherous and they stumbled more than once, leading to a number of cuts and scrapes that were slow to heal up. On the bright side, the river seemed to be working. They were immune to the effects of the air and temperature. They were hungry, thirsty and exhausted but they weren't on the verge of dying so that was something to be thankful for.

As they walked, they talked quietly, careful to avoid being overheard by any nearby creatures. Percy told her his life story, the real story of his life and Reyna did the same, most of which she had already told him about but this time neither held anything back. Both were eager to learn more about the other and it helped to pass the time and to keep their minds focused on something else other than how utterly hopeless their journey most likely was.

In the sky, they could see dark figures swooping in and out of the blood-red clouds but they tried to not mention it as there was little they could do about it other than hope whatever they were, they were more focused on the sky than what was quietly making its way across the ground.

Reyna was suddenly grabbed hard and pulled to the left, off the banks of the river and into a side passageway. She tried to yelp but a hand covered her mouth making her panic until she saw Percy looking at her and shaking his head as he put a finger to his lips.

She looked confused until she heard the sounds of voices coming from the where they had been walking. Percy silently pointed down the path they were on, telling her to walk before they were found.

She nodded, pulling the dagger from her waist as they crept as silently as they could down the path. They walked for a few minutes as they passageway narrowed a bit, wide enough for four or five people to walk abreast through it. On the walls of the narrow path were chains nailed into the rock, hanging down with shackles on the end. Bone or what was left of bones could be seen on the ground to the sides of the trail. What the bones were of, it wasn't possible to tell. But it did nothing to help ease their nerves.

After a minute, Reyna calm to an abrupt stop, dropping into a crouch which Percy mimicked quickly. He wasn't sure why they were doing this until he heard the sounds of footsteps coming from in front of them. He turned around and heard the same sound coming from the direction they came.

A trap.

And they had walked right into it.

Mjolnir materialized in his hand as he turned, slamming it into the wall as one of the chains broke off and clattered to the ground in front of him. He looked at Reyna whose expression was nervous before he snatched the dagger from her hand. She looked at him in shock but nothing compared to when he replaced the dagger with his most prized possession.

"What are you doing?"

"Use it. It will do as you wish. If it leaves your hand you only need to will it back and it will come to you."

She felt the raw power of the godly weapon energize her. She relished in the feeling of such power in her hand and she wondered if Percy felt like that whenever he held it. If so, why he would ever use a different weapon?

"You're better with it. You use it." She argued.

Before Percy could respond, monsters appeared on both sides of them, looking at the duo hungrily.

A hideous creature with flaming hair, skin white as bone, long razor sharp claws and fangs stepped forward. Her steps were awkward with her one metallic leg and one donkey leg. Percy recognized it as an Empousa. She wore a tattered looking outfit that Percy could have sworn was one a cheerleader would wear.

"Oh my god," she sounded like a fan girl, "two tasty snacks just waiting to be eaten. And this one," she said pointing at Percy and smiling wickedly, "so handsome. Maybe I can have some fun with him before we drink him dry."

Behind her was a half-dozen more Empousai. They all looked at Percy lecherously and with hungry eyes. He wasn't sure if they wanted to eat him or rape him but either way, the answer was no.

On the other side of the pathway nine or ten hideous looking creatures were eying Reyna closely. They had the heads of dogs and clawed flippers instead of hands.

Telekhine.

"You know hun," the Empousa said smiling flirtatiously. "It'd be a lot easier for you if you just gave up. We'll make it quick and won't drain you while you're alive."

Percy twirled the dagger in his hand before picking up the chain on the ground.

"I'm going slice you into a thousand pieces of bitcheroni, hunny. You want some Percy Jackson, just hobble your freaky looking ass over here and come get it."

The Empousai all hissed and barred their fangs.

Percy gave them a cheeky grin, "Good, I like 'em feisty."

Reyna forced herself not to laugh at his bitcheroni comment and focused on the freaking looking seal-dogs inching closer to her.

Without warning, she decided striking first was her best option. The head monster was within ten feet when she threw the hammer with all she had, trying to mimic the way she had seen Percy fight with it. It flew fast and true straight into the monster's chest, knocking it backwards into three of its comrades, knocking them all off their feet.

She felt very exposed without a weapon as the other monsters waddled towards her, all barring their fangs and preparing to rip her to shreds.

She held up her hand and prayed Percy was right. Just as the first monster got within five feet, it was suddenly cracked upside the head from a flying hammer as it made a beeline back for Reyna's hand.

She grabbed the hammer out of the air and grinned at the feeling. Two monsters lunged towards her as she spun, swinging Mjolnir with all she had as it slammed into the monster's open mouth, smashing its teeth and fangs to pieces and crushing its jaw for good measure.

The second monster grazed her shoulder with its claws causing her to growl at the feeling of her skin being opened up. She turned, kicking the monster in the chest before it could turn around and knocked it to the ground. She brought Mjolnir up and drove it into the monster's head with as much force as she could muster. Its head was crushed to a pulp, splattering Reyna and anything around her with blood and skin before it dissolved.

Percy could hear the sound of Mjolnir crashing into a monster as his grin grew; she was a natural.

The lead Empousa hobbled forward as he swung the chain threateningly in his hand. He had pretty much gone on a whim with using this makeshift weapon but he saw it in a movie and it looked badass so he obviously figured it was a good idea. The speed in which his swung the celestial bronze chain increased before he launched it forward it forward hoping to copy what he saw in the movie. Unfortunately this was not a movie, and it did not conveniently wrap around her throat. On the plus side, it reached its limit of slack and snapped back, the shackle coming up and smashing the monster in the nose and dropped her to her knees clutching her bleeding appendage.

Abandoning his attempts to look cool, his mind went into battle mode as he ran forward, kicking a second Empousa in the chest and sending her flying into the feet of another. With some space, he quickly wrapped the chain around the bleeding monster's throat and darted to the right, using a small boulder to jump clean over one of the vampire demons and right into the chest of another, knocking her to the ground in the process. He wrenched the chain hard until the sound of bones snapping ended the life of the cheerleading vampire.

The remaining Empousai turned, rage in the eyes after they watched the neck of their sister be snapped by this mortal demigod.

Percy reeled in the chain now that the monster was a pile of dust, wrapping it slowly around his arm as he smirked at the vampires seething faces.

"Come on ladies, don't get shy now."

Two of the Empousai pulled out daggers and ran at Percy. He waited patiently until the first blade was thrust at his chest. He turned, catching the monster's arm in the chain before he stepped forward, tugging hard as her shoulder was ripped from its socket. She let out a pained hiss and dropped to her knees clutching her limp arm.

Percy ducked just in time to avoid the next blade aimed at his head. Rolling forward, he pulled the dagger from his waist and jammed it into her back before she could turn. He looked at the remaining three Empousai including the one right in front of him, raking her clawed fingers across his chest before she was kicked in the stomach causing her to hunch as the air was forced from her lungs. Percy grabbed her head between his arm and chest as spun around snapping it in once swift motion.

He wrenched on the chain in his hand whipping it forward and cracking it as it snapped back, the shackled end smacking another Empousa in the face. He spun to the last one who very interested in escaping. She started to backtrack as Percy launched the improvised weapon at her. It wrapped around her legs before she was sent face first into the unforgiving ground. Percy wrenched her closer before taking two steps forward and crushing her neck as he mercilessly stomped on it.

"Knew that would work eventually." He grinned.

He looked up to find Reyna backtracking from the final three Telekhine, her hand open and waiting for Mjolnir to return to her. Percy sprinted forward, holding out his hand as the weapon flew by Reyna and back to its true master. He caught it in stride and slammed it into the ground in front of him and Reyna. The shock wave was enough to send the monsters and Reyna stumbling back.

He used the distraction to charge, swinging Mjolnir in an upward arc and catching the first monster just below the jaw and sending it flying back. He spun around, dropping low and swinging it into another monster's legs and dropping it to the ground as well. The last monster lunged at him with its claws aimed at his throat. He lowered his head and drove his shoulder into its stomach, spearing it down the ground before he put his hand to its throat and felt electricity course through his body as the monster convulsed beneath him until he pulled back and watched it dissolve.

Percy stood back up, looking for Reyna who had retrieved her dagger and had it raised to finish off the last Empousa as it sat on its knees still clutching its shoulder.

"NO!" He yelled urgently.

Reyna froze and looked at him incredulously.

"We can use her. We need to question her, first at least."

Reyna looked less than pleased but nodded as she watched Percy walk towards her, taking care to crush the throat of the last Telekhine as it writhed on the ground with a badly injured leg or flipper or whatever it was that held these monstrosities upright.

He stopped in front of the injured Empousa who looked up at him with a burning hatred.

"Just kill me now half-blood, I'll never tell you anything."

Percy remained stoic as he stood beside Reyna. His hand went to her waist and then moved to her lower back making her raise an eyebrow before she felt him slide the dagger she had just sheathed there out as he held it front of him.

He stood silently, looking at the monster who eyed the blade warily.

"I'm not going to enjoy this but I promise it will be far less enjoyable for you. Just tell me what I want to know and we can make this far less difficult."

The monster's face contorted into a sneer but before she could speak, he lunged forward, driving the blade into her thigh. She let loose a cry of pain as the weapon was slowly twisted, still imbedded in her flesh.

"You'll both die down here demigod. My siblings will find you and feast on your flesh! You won't even make it until the end of this day!"

Percy didn't react to her words other than the sparks that bounced off his skin before the Empousa went rigid and then began to writhe in pain as thousands of volts of electricity coursed through her body.

Percy pulled the dagger from her thigh and jammed it into her shoulder before she could recover.

She wailed in agony as Percy again began to twist the blade deep into her flesh.

"Where are the Doors of Death right now? I know all monsters are drawn to them, and you, being the filthy monster you are, know exactly where they are."

The fanged creature raised her good arm and made to swipe at his throat but Percy's hand caught her arm before it reached him. He twisted hard as the bones inside her wrist snapped loudly making even Reyna wince at the pain it must have caused.

"Go to Tartarus half-breed." The Empousa wailed amidst her agonized screams.

Percy twisted the wrist even further as the tortured monster tried to thrash and flail around to break free of his iron grip.

Percy used his free hand to backhand the Empousa across the face, effectively putting an end to her struggling.

"In case you missed it, I'm already there. I can keep this going all day if I must to make you talk. Tell me what I want to know and I will show you mercy."

The monster opened her mouth to reply when Percy wrenched on her now mangled wrist again.

"Okay! Okay!" The Empousa screamed.

Percy stopped twisting but did not release her hand from his grasp.

"Where is it?" He growled.

"Deep inside the pit," she replied, finally breaking. "You'll never make it there anyway." Percy started to twist again. "Wait! It is long and perilous with no chance of survival but if are foolish enough to try it, you must follow the Phlegethon River. Find where it meets the River Styx. From there you must walk across a great plain until you find the River Kokytos. That will lead you to the Mansion of Night where you will find nothing but certain death. The Doors can be sensed when you are there. They call to all living beings trapped inside Tartarus. Across the River Acheron is the very heart of Tartarus. That is where the Doors of Death are. Inside the very heart of this damned place. You will never survive the journey there. Now let me go. I have told you what you wanted to know."

Percy stared at the monster, trying to find deceit in her words. When he found none, he snatched the dagger out of her shoulder and slid it across her throat in one fluid motion. The Empousa looked at him in disbelief. She opened her mouth to speak before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she dissolved into dust that was absorbed by the ground beneath her.

Reyna stared at Percy, "I thought you said you would spare her."

The son of Thor held out her dagger and shrugged, "I said I would show mercy. I promise that that was mercy compared to what I would have done had she not told me what I wanted to know."

Reyna nodding as she tucked the blade back into her waist, not able to argue with killing the monster that just tried to eat them. She looked at Percy seriously, "We're not going to make it, are we?"

Percy was silent for a minute, his eyes glued to the ground beneath him. After a minute, he finally looked up, lightning dancing across his deathly serious eyes.

"I did not fall into Tartarus after you just for us to die down in this hellhole. We're going to make it out. I don't care what it takes but I promise I will not let you die down in this pit."

Reyna was a little taken aback by the certainty and conviction in his words. She realized how pathetic her words must have sounded. She had not exactly been a beacon of hope since falling down here while Percy hadn't wavered once, even carrying her when she couldn't face her fears. She hated it. She was never this vulnerable and weak but just being in this place seemed to sap the strength and courage from her. She narrowed her eyes and nodded.

"You're right. I'm sorry..." she began before being stopped by Percy grabbing hold of her wrist. Before she could notice what he was doing, he slipped a bracelet onto her wrist. The minute it touched her skin, she felt a spark of energy course through her body.

"What are you doing?"

"Carry it. It will give you strength on the journey." He said, not yet letting go of her wrist.

She opened her mouth argue when Percy's hand went to her back and slipped the dagger back out before he sheathed it at his ankle.

"You could have just asked for it." Reyna said looking at him incredulously.

Percy bit back a smirk but Reyna could see the amusement on his face "But then I wouldn't have a chance to touch your ass when I did it. Or should I buy you a drink first?"

Reyna's face flushed as she remembered her delirious remark as she struggled to stay awake. She glared at him and made to punch him in the chest but he stepped to the side and caught her as she stumbled forward a bit.

"That's domestic abuse you know. Relationships shouldn't be built on violence." He said chuckling.

Reyna's face managed to turn even redder, "Who said this was a relationship?"

Percy rolled his eyes, "Yes, I willingly jump into Tartarus for just about anyone. Now push that blood from your cheeks and let's get moving before we get ambushed again."

His order had the opposite effect as Reyna's face was bright red at this point. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself as her thoughts went to what he said.

Did she want a boyfriend?

She'd never put much stock into romance and relationships before but then again, she'd never met anyone like Percy Jackson before. He certainly was different than the demigods at Camp Jupiter. He had the uncanny ability to know exactly when the right moment to be serious was but also managed to make her smile and laugh unlike anyone she knew. That was an accomplishment in its own right. She had already kissed him a few different times, something she never did. Maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to make sure he was hers and not available for anyone else, on the off-chance they escaped this hell they were trapped in. She'd seen the way Praetor Cassie looked at him and it always left a bitter taste in her mouth. She looked up to find Percy watching her internal debate forcing himself not to smirk.

"Problem Percy?"

He smiled with amusement, "Nope, you just look kind of cute when you argue with yourself. I'm ready to go when you are."

"You can be so damn irritating." She growled trying to wipe the smug smile off his face.

He just rolled his eyes, "Very true, but that's why you love me. Now if you're done, let's get back to that lovely River of Fire. I don't know about you but I'm a starting to miss the searing feeling of walking along its banks. Shall we?" He offered his hand to her.

Reyna glared at him for a second but relented and took his hand as they made their way back down the passageway and towards the Phlegethon.


	17. Well Wisdom, Let's Dance

Ch. 17

The newest residents of Tartarus made their way deeper into the pit, following the River of Fire as they went. They walked in silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts about many different things, most prominently how impossible the journey to the very heart of Tartarus was going to be. They were supposed to somehow follow this blazing inferno of a river until it met up with the Styx, then cross some great plain within Tartarus to find the Kokytos River, better known as the River of Wailing or Lamentation, and follow it to a Mansion of Night, whatever the Hel that was. After that, they would need to cross the River Acheron, a place reserved as the ultimate punishment for the damned, and end up in the heart of Tartarus itself.

Yes, this sounded like a walk in the park.

Reyna glanced down at her wrist, the bracelet giving off a soft glow in dark and gloomy light of Tartarus.

"Percy," she said quietly. "Tell me of Asgard and your people. I know you've never met them but surely you know all about them."

Percy didn't look over at her. He kept his eyes ahead of them as he thought about her question, the memories of all the stories and tales his guardians had told him growing up coming back to him.

"It is a lot of tell Reyna but I will tell you what as much as I can." He answered softly. She smiled a bit and nodded for his to continue.

"In our world, there are nine realms or worlds that exist, the first one, Niflheim, is called the World of Fog. Deep under the ground, that is where Hel's kingdom can be found. It is a place of cold and unforgiving condtions. It is said all living began there and all living end there. Then there is Muspelheim, or the Land of Fire. That is where the Fire Giants make their home. They are the sworn enemy of Asgard and their king, Surt, is said to ride out with his flaming sword at the Ragnarök and turn Asgard into a blazing inferno."

"What is Ragnarök? Reyna interrupted, she heard Percy mention it before but the term was foreign to her.

Percy stopped; his expression darkening before he spoke.

"It refers to a series of events, foreseen long ago that will bring about the end of the world. Many of our major gods will fall, the All-Father Odin; my father; Tyr, the god of war; Freyr, the god of the sun who rules over the realm of Alfheimr; Heimdallr, the god who guards the Bifrost Bridge; and Loki; killed by monsters like Garmr, Jörmungandr, and Fenrir or by other gods who turn against Asgard before the final battle. Natural disasters will tear the world to pieces before it is submerged in water only to be reborn anew to be repopulated."

Reyna looked at him, her expression showed a little disbelief at the detailed account of the end of the world. She thought it impossible for such knowledge of the world's downfall to be known to even to the Norse gods.

"So some monsters kill some of your gods and then the world ends for all of us?"

Percy narrowed his eyes, a look of anger on his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are my beliefs not copasetic with yours? Is it because my people, who by the way would crush your little Roman and Greek gods, don't think themselves infallible? Because unlike the Olympians, they are humble enough to think themselves able to fall from power. What exactly do you think is going on right now Reyna? That Hel is here to take over the world so she can pass out cupcakes and dandelions to all the mortals?"

Her eyes widened, "What?"

Percy rolled his eyes at her obliviousness.

"Taking over Midgard is just the start. She won't stop there. She hopes to start the Ragnarök. Then the majority of our most powerful gods will be gone. The world can start anew without the gods who shunned Hel when she was brought to Asgard as a child. Before the All-Father, taking pity on her because her form brought fear and discomfort to the other gods, gave her the kingdom in which she rules over."

"The other gods will fight. Surely these monsters and giants can't withstand the might of your gods and mine." She argued thinking no such threat could withstand the combined strength of two powerful pantheons.

Percy snorted loudly, "Okay. You believe that if it makes you feel better. I don't think you fathom the power of the enemies that will gather. Frost and Fire giants will raise massive armies; the world will be torn asunder and the mortals wiped out in the carnage before the end will come."

Reyna's face turned pale, "Then why isn't anyone trying to stop her? Why do your gods not try to strike first and stop her before she can even begin?"

Percy sighed tiredly, "Enter Percy Jackson; you know the mortal demigod who is supposed to stop Hel before she can begin the end. I don't think you get it. My people are cut off from the world; the bridge that linked the worlds together is destroyed. They would never get here before it was too late."

Reyna stared at Percy, her eyes full of shock, "That's your destiny? To stop the end of the world?"

He shook his head, "Delay. No one can stop it from coming but it is not time for the end yet, not for a long time still. Hel wants to speed everything up and I am going to stop her. Then, when the time comes, I shall join my people and we shall ride out and meet them on the battlefield."

Reyna looked confused by this.

"Vahalla. That is what my mothers did before they were assigned to watch over me. They chose the best warriors they could find when they fell in battle and brought them to Vahalla where they train to fight for Asgard in Ragnarök." Percy explained.

"That's where you go when you die?"

Percy shrugged, "I hope. My chances of surviving this battle with Hel are almost none. I just hope I can stop her and then earn my way into Vahalla to wait for the Ragnarök."

Reyna froze at his words. She never thought about it but he was probably right. A demigod fighting a goddess; his chances of survival were not good. She looked at him but he looked calm, like he was used to this thought. She couldn't help as her respect for Percy grew. He may not be a Roman but he accepted his duty as good as or better than any Roman would.

"You're okay with dying?"

Percy's expression was stern and serious, "Of course I am. It is my duty to fight for the honor of my father and my family. I don't want to die but I will not fear it. I will meet Hel head on and if it is to be my final battle then I will make it one worthy of a son of Thor, the final child of Asgard on this planet."

Reyna felt a pain in her chest thinking about Percy falling to this Norse goddess. The truth was she was more attached to him than she was willing to admit to herself. She felt something in her hand and looked down to see Percy's hand holding hers tightly.

"Do you want to hear more? I still have the other seven realms to tell you about; Jutenheim, Nidavellir, Svartalfheim,Vanaheim, and Alfheim. I'll skip Midgard since I think you know it well enough. But in those other realms is where you'll find the Frost Giants; Elves, both Dark and Light; Dwarves, the old Norse gods, the Vanir, and some other interesting creatures."

Reyna gave him a small smile and nodded, interested in changing the subject from Percy's death to about his people and how different it was than the world she knew.

Line Break

Six hours.

Or that was his best estimate for the time it took them to finally come to the end of the Phlegethon. Time wasn't exactly easy to keep track of. There was no sun; no day and night; just an endless continuation of the same, dimly lit hell, complete with monsters, demons and just about every other kind of monster or creature they could imagine and a lot they couldn't.

They hadn't reached the end of the river but it did split into a series of smaller flaming extensions that spread across a large, somewhat flat plain. The largest part of the river stayed intact, flowing across the vast field before appearing to vanish.

"Where's the River Styx? I thought we were supposed to find that before the huge plain." Reyna asked, her voice rough as her throat was dry and hoarse. The lack of food and water was taking its toll on the two demigods.

Percy sighed, "Yeah, according to the Empousa we were about to kill. I'm going to go out on a limb and say she isn't the most trustworthy person to get directions from. I'm sure she left some tasty little treats out of her directions for us to follow. All we can do is keep going. Even without her directions, this is where we'd be heading anyway. The Doors of Death aren't going to be easy to get to, that I am sure of."

Reyna nodded, taking a knee as the exhaustion began to take its toll of the young demigoddess. Percy watched her with worry. He wasn't even sure how they were standing. This place was draining them more and more by the second and now they were supposed to cross this huge plain, leaving them exposed for any monster lurking in the area. He turned and glanced at the blazing river beside him, looking at it with trepidation.

Without a word, he dipped his hands in and brought the flames to his lips, forcing himself to gulp it down before he could think about how painful it was going to be.

The familiar feeling of being burned from the inside out dropped him to his knees, his hands clawing at his chest as he wanted nothing more than to rip the fire out of his body and end the suffering. After a minute though, the pain started to subside. The wounds he got battling the Empousai and on their trek began to heal up and he felt a little bit of his energy return to him.

He pulled himself up and looked at Reyna who looked anxious.

"Do it. We have no idea what we might run into out there and this could be our last chance to re-up on this pleasant little beverage."

Reyna looked less than enthusiastic about taking another drink but she refused to be weak again on this impossible journey. Percy manned up and drank it and she was not going to hold him back again.

Without giving herself time to change her mind, she thrust her hands into the fire. After gulping down a handful, she dropped to her knees and tried to endure the suffering until the pain passed. As the fire felt like it was incinerating her internal organs, she suddenly felt something enter her mouth. The pain in her mouth vanished and it felt like it just had a quart of ice cold water shoved inside. Percy's hand was over her mouth, making her swallow the substance. As it travelled down her throat and into her stomach, all the burning and pain vanished instantly. She looked up at Percy in disbelief.

"What was that?" She asked slightly angry. "I thought you were out of ambrosia?"

Percy shrugged, "It's not ambrosia. It's a creation of my people, made by my guardians."

Reyna looked at him in disbelief.

He held up his hand to stop her from speaking, "It is made for situations where you're stuck in captivity. One bite of it provides enough food and water for a couple days. It won't stop the hunger but it will help with the thirst."

"Why are you just telling me this now?" She growled.

"We didn't need it yet. Thirst can make you do things you shouldn't, like give in well before you really need to. Given how long we've been down here and what we're about to attempt to do, I thought it was time."

"Did you eat any?"

He shook his head, "I'm fine. When I was a kid, my mothers trained me for situations like this; sent me out in the harshest conditions for days at a time and made me find my own way to survive. I know exactly how long I can go without water and I'm fine."

Reyna glared daggers at him, "I was fine. You shouldn't have done that."

"I know but watching you suffer bothered me. I did it on impulse. But at least you'll be set for a day or two now."

Reyna tried to keep glaring but found she couldn't. The way Percy said it made her soften. He was the first person to ever care so deeply for her; not her mother or sister and certainly not Circe showed that kind of love for her. Despite the fact she hated being the weaker of the two, she couldn't be upset with him for caring about her. She forced herself not to smile when she thought about how much he cared about her well-being.

"Fine Jackson but let's get moving. If you die on me, you better hope I don't die too because I'll spend eternity kicking your ass for this."

Percy rolled his eyes but a smile tugged at his lips, "Such love, I feel blessed. Let's go."

They eyed the vast expanse in front of them. It was a barren wasteland. Fiery chasms littered the plain along with blackened rocks and boulders. The Phlegethon was split into a half-dozen tributaries that zigzagged across the plain before flowing back into their source and vanishing from view at the end of their sightline.

About fifty yards in front of them, a bit of movement caught their eyes before a small creature seemed to claw its way out of the ground before looking around wildly.

"Is that a Hellhound?" Percy said shocked. "It looks like a baby."

Before Reyna could respond, a dark figure swooped down out of the clouds and snatched the baby monster up before shooting back into the sky.

"Well that's just awesome." Percy muttered. "There go any thoughts about flying across this plain."

Reyna looked similarly displeased with what they just witnessed but knew they had to do it.

"Let's just move, there's no point in delaying."

"Well, we could delay and live a little longer but your wish is my command, milady." He said dryly as they took off at a brisk pace, their eyes watchful of the sky above them.

They tried to move quickly but the distance they needed to cross was vast. They soon lost the energy to hurry and instead tried to be as inconspicuous as possible, not an easy task for two living demigods in the middle of Tartarus.

After several minutes of walking, Percy couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. He looked around but couldn't see anything. The feeling came from all around them, as if a pair of eyes was moving, not staying in one place long enough to be noticed but it was like Percy could feel them on him. He didn't want to mention it to Reyna though, the last thing they needed was something else to worry about.

After a few more minutes of walking, Reyna was suddenly shoved to the ground. She rolled over in time to see Percy dive forward to avoid one of the winged demonic creatures as it tried to snatch him up like it did to the Hellhound.

She looked down to her wrist and wondered if she should use Mjolnir but decided it would likely be like a beacon to any other nearby monsters.

Percy rolled forward and stayed crouched to the ground as one hand went to his ankle to unsheathe the dagger held there.

"Percy watch out!" Reyna yelled. His eyes turned to see another winged creature making a pass at him with another on its heels.

Percy reached down and snatched up some of the muddy dirt substance that made up the ground beneath them.

As the monster opened it clawed feet to grab him, Percy tossed the dirt into its face causing it to let out an ear piercing screech. It pulled up blinded and collided with the monster behind it sending them both crashing to the ground as Percy dove to avoid be caught up in the collision.

Percy jumped to his feet, pulling another dagger taken from the Empousai he killed from his waistband. When he looked up in the sky though, he saw a dozen more of the winged monsters descending from the blood-red sky. He quickly made his way over to Reyna who was watching the sky in horror.

"Take your hammer Percy. You'll need it and you're much better with it than me."

Percy thought about saying no but the sight of so many monsters, all circling above them like vultures over a fresh kill, made him decide she was probably right. After exchanging weapons, the two Roman Centurions were back to back, waiting for the monsters to make their move.

After a moment, two monsters shot down side by side and made a beeline for the two demigods.

As they prepared to defend themselves, Percy's eyes widened when he saw a giant blur dropping from somewhere high above them. It was nothing but a blur of black as it fell. Percy pulled Reyna back a few feet as they tried to get farther away from where whatever it was, was going to land.

The two swooping monsters seemed oblivious to the figure and didn't notice until they were caught under it and crushed to the ground as it landed, shaking the ground and the area around them under the force of its impact.

Percy and Reyna both paled as they finally got a clear look at what it was.

Standing roughly twenty feet tall and covered in black Stygian iron armor with a single diamond glistening in the chest plate was a man who radiated tremendous power. His face was covered with battle scars but still managed to be handsome. His hair and eyes were an icy blue-white; his hair cut military style and his eyes cold and unforgiving. He wore a bear shaped helmet and held a massive sword in his hand that seemed to radiate a bone-chilling cold even in the inferno that was Tartarus.

He looked at the two demigods with calculating eyes. Reyna held two daggers nervously in her hands while Percy, now unarmed after willing Mjolnir back into a bracelet before the man had landed, just stood stiffly with his hands at his sides.

"Demigods in Tartarus, what a rare sight this is," the figure commented casually.

Reyna opened her mouth to respond but Percy gently poked her in the back, telling her to wait.

The man regarded them with curiosity but his eyes were cold and Percy seemed to think they looked familiar. He could tell this guy was not here to help them.

"What's wrong? Lose your voices when you fell down here? How did you get here anyway? Are those arrogant brat Olympians throwing their own children down to Tartarus nowadays?"

Percy thought about his words, trying to choose them carefully. He knew this was a Titan, he radiated power the same way Atlas did, but he wasn't sure which one it was which did make a difference in how to best handle the situation.

"We are just trying to make our way through. We are not looking for trouble Lord…." Percy said looking unsure what to call the Titan.

The Titan threw back his head and laughed a dark, cold laugh.

"My, my, aren't we the polite little demigods. I am Koios, Titan of Farsight and Knowledge. Also known as Titan of the North."

Percy cursed mentally as he recalled everything he knew about this Titan. He was one of the eldest Titans and one of the more powerful ones. He was also a skilled fighter and as intelligent as Athena, making the options for trying to escape pretty much non-existent.

"Koios?" Reyna asked, unsure why she never heard of him before.

The Titan regarded her with narrowed eyes, slightly offended that she hadn't heard of him. Then his eyes landed on her Centurion's badge and he laughed again.

"Romans! That is a rare sight indeed. I believe you call me Polus."

Reyna's eyes widened a little but she kept her mouth shut. Percy took a step forward, "I'm going to guess you're not here just to say hello, are you?"

Koios smirked a bit, "I came to get a look at what the commotion was down here. Soon I will return to the world as we crush your gods and reclaim what is rightfully ours and begin the next Golden Age of the world."

Percy nodded, "Um, that's great. And I'm sure you've got some things to do before you're return. We won't take up any more of your time them and just be one our way."

Koios smiled, "I came all the way down here; I can't just leave you down here by yourselves. Since you're Romans, that means you are children of the Olympians. What a perfect warm-up for me before I eradicate your brethren in the world above and then your parents."

Percy looked up at the twenty foot being before him. He knew their chances of surviving a fight with him were almost non-existent but fighting him in his Titan height gave them no chance at all. He needed to do something to help their odds and since asking nicely was unlikely to work, he decided to try something that was probably one of his words ideas to date.

"Since you're going kill us anyway, you had might as well give us a chance, however small it may be, and shrink yourself down to a more mortal-like height." Percy said carefully, hoping he would respond the way he wanted.

Koios raised an eyebrow, "And what makes you think I can even do that demigod? Have you ever seen a Titan before boy?"

Percy gave him a small smile as he got the answer he expected, "Just once. You see about a year ago, Atlas managed to get free of his burden. Then he managed to trap Artemis, you know you're granddaughter, under the sky. Well, the thing is, I kind of liked her so me and a few friends helped free Artemis and helped her lay the smack down on Atlas. I mean he fought me at more reasonable height so I know you can be however tall you want. I understand though. I mean Atlas did say he was the most powerful Titan, other than Kronos, to ever live. So if you're worried then it's understandable. He lost to some demigods and a goddess so you are probably worried about your chances, right?

The Titan of the North looked murderous. His body glowed before shrinking down to more reasonable height of seven feet.

"You'll pay for your arrogance godling. I shall avenge my fellow Titan by spilling your blood in the fields of Tartarus."

Percy stayed silent but held up his hand. Reyna was just looking at Percy like he was crazy. Was he trying to make the Titan even angrier?

"There's just one more thing you should know about me, you know, before you spill my blood in Tartarus."

"And what is that you little brat?" Koios growled.

Percy smiled, "I'm not a child of the Olympians."

The Titan looked confused until Mjolnir appeared in the demigod's hand making his eyes widen.

Before he could respond, Percy hurled the mighty hammer straight into the chest of the Titan, sending him crashing backwards and onto his back. Mjolnir flew back into Percy's hand as he stood in front of Reyna, ready to protect her until his final breath.

Koios jumped to his feet looking shocked, "Impossible. Your father hasn't been here in centuries."

Percy spun Mjolnir by its strap in his hand.

"Special trip to get lucky with a mortal I guess. Makes me the last of my kind and I don't plan on dying in this infernal place."

Koios didn't wait for any more words to be exchanged as he charged at the Norse demigod, bringing his blade down with enough power to cut a man in half. Percy rolled to the side but Koios had unbelievable speed as he was standing over Percy in an instant. He brought down his sword again as Percy blocked using the handle of Mjolnir. Koios pressed down trying to overpower the young demigod and Percy struggled to hold his own. Mjolnir began to frost up as the touch of the Titan's blade seemed cold enough to turn anything to ice. When the cold hit his hands, Percy let out a thunderous roar as the Titan was blasted backwards as electricity coursed through his weapon and body.

Koios jumped back to his feet, his previous neatly cut hair now sticking out from the shock of the blast of electricity.

"You'll pay for that boy." He growled as he lunged at Percy who blocked his strike but was kicked hard in the chest sending him flying back and gasping for breath.

Koios stalked toward him with his blade raised. Just as he reached Percy, he roared in pain and stumbled a bit, a dagger sticking out of his back as Reyna now stood behind him. The Titan turned and sent Reyna flying with a powerful backhand across the face.

"I'll save you for after bitch." He growled.

Koios turned back just in time to get slammed in the chest with Mjolnir by Percy whose eyes shown with rage. Koios stumbled back, his armor indented with the imprint of Mjolnir. This time Percy charged, swinging his hammer with as much speed as he could muster. Koios met every one of his strikes but seemed surprised by the skill and power Percy had.

Percy took a swing aimed for the Titan's head. As Koios raised his blade to block, Percy crouched, spinning around as he unsheathed another dagger stolen from the Empousai and opened up a gash in the back of the Titan's knee.

Koios growled in pain and spun on Percy, attacking in a flurry of strikes that Percy barely managed to duck, dodge and block. He tried to keep up but the Titan's energy seemed endless as he kept up the onslaught until Percy made to block a strike aimed at his head. The Titan feinted the strike high and slashed across Percy's midsection.

The son of Thor jumped back but not quick enough as he felt the blade burn his skin from its icy touch before he felt the warmth of his own blood replace the cold.

Before he could recover, Koios kicked Percy's legs out from under him. He raised his blade to finish him off before stopping as Mjolnir flew out of Percy's grasp and into Reyna's before she flung the weapon at the Titan, catching him in the back and sending him face first into the ground.

Mjolnir flew back into Reyna's hand as her eyes landed on Percy who was bleeding badly from the wound in his stomach. She knew if she didn't get him help soon, he would bleed out where he was lying.

The Titan of the North slowly rose of his feet, looking furious as his eyes landed on Reyna.

"I would have made your death a quick one girl but now you will suffer as you watch him bleed to death."

Reyna held Mjolnir in front of her nervously. She tried to be confident but the sight of her dying boyfriend and the powerful Titan in front of her made it an impossible task. Add to it the godly weapon she really didn't know how to fight with and things were just peachy at the moment.

Before she could do anything, the Titan charged at her. His movements were a blur. She wasn't even sure how she was managing to defend herself or how Percy had managed to fight him for several minutes, but she struggled to keep herself from getting sliced in half. Mjolnir seemed to have a mind of its own, meeting the Titan's strikes and keeping Reyna alive. She stumbled back, still blocking his attacks until a booted foot hit her if the stomach and caused her to hunch over.

Koios raised his blade only to he tackled from the side as a bloody Percy Jackson came out of nowhere. Percy drove a fist into the Titan's face before being grabbed around the throat as the Titan raised a fist to deliver a beating.

Reyna ran at the Titan but she froze in her tracks when a blinding light appeared overhead. The intensity of the light only grew as it seemed to come closer.

Koios looked above him before a look of genuine fear appeared on his face,

"No! You can't do this! This is against the ancient laws! Noooooooo!" He roared before the light became too blinding and Reyna was forced to close her eyes. The next thing the daughter of Bellona knew she felt like she was being ripped apart from the inside out before the feeling vanished and she opened her eyes and didn't believe what she saw.


	18. Rescued by the Day

Ch. 18

Last Chapter….

Koios raised his blade only to be tackled from the side as a bloody Percy Jackson came out of nowhere. Percy drove a fist into the Titan's face before being grabbed around the throat and forced onto his back as the Titan raised a fist to deliver a beating.

Reyna ran at the Titan but froze in her tracks when a blinding light appeared overhead. The intensity of the light only grew as it seemed to come closer.

Koios looked above him before a look of genuine fear appeared on his face,

"No! You can't do this! This is against the ancient laws! Noooooooo!" He roared before the light became too blinding and Reyna was forced to close her eyes. The next thing the daughter of Bellona knew she felt like she was being ripped apart from the inside out before the feeling vanished and she opened her eyes and didn't believe what she saw.

Now…

Reyna couldn't believe her eyes. One minute she's seconds away from being killed by a Titan and the next she's in a completely different place, a place so bright her eyes were having a hard time adjusting.

After a minute though, her vision seemed to acclimate to her new surroundings as she looked around at the vast room she was in. Immediately, she felt a feeling of panic rise up in her. She looked around, not seeing Percy anywhere until a pained grunt directly behind her drew her attention as she quickly reached for a dagger that wasn't there.

The most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on had a hand on Percy's stomach, her hand giving off an ethereal light as Percy grunted in his unconscious state from the obvious pain.

"What are you doing?" Reyna snapped at the woman, ready to attack her for harming Percy.

The woman didn't look in her direction making Reyna's anger only grow. She stepped towards the woman but with a casual flick of her wrist, Reyna vanished, reappearing across the room.

Reyna ran back towards Percy but by the time she reached him, the woman was standing up. Reyna looked down at him and gasped when she saw him lying there shirtless and without any trace of the injury he had just been dealt by the Titan Polus.

The daughter of Bellona's eyes shifted to the mysterious woman who radiated power even more so than the Titan had. She had strawberry blonde hair and the bluest eyes Reyna had ever seen. Her face was regal and honestly breathtaking, even for Reyna to look at.

"W…Who are you?" She asked a little timidly.

The woman finally took her eyes off Percy and seemed to look at Reyna for the first time since she came to. Reyna's hand felt around for a dagger but the two she had had been lost in the battle with the Titan. Now she stood defenseless in front of this powerful being.

She regarded Reyna with curiosity, eying her from head to toe silently, almost as if she was judging her.

"I am Dies, to you anyway, but I prefer to be called Hemera."

Reyna felt the uncontrollable urge to drop to her knees but when her eyes landed on Percy again, she restrained herself and steeled her nerves.

"What did you do to Percy? And where are we?"

Hemera tilted her head to the side, watching Reyna closely before a small smile appeared on her face.

"I am no threat to you or young Perseus Jackson. I healed his injuries and now he is simply resting. I believe he should wake up shortly."

Reyna felt slightly relieved that Percy was healed but she was also on edge. She had not heard many tales of gods or goddesses being helpful out of the goodness of their hearts. No, they usually wanted something in return and it was rarely something that was easy to give.

Before Reyna could say anything else, Percy rolled off the couch he had been lying on as Mjolnir appeared in his hand. He quickly backed up to where Reyna stood and watched the goddess in front of him warily.

"Where are we? What do you want with us? Who are you?" He growled, still gathering his wits but ready for a fight if one broke out.

Hemera couldn't help but smile at him; only half-conscious as still ready to protect the girl with his life if he had to.

"I want nothing from you Perseus Jackson. You must relax, you were gravely injured." She said back softly before snapping her fingers as Percy vanished and reappeared back on the couch again.

Reyna quickly made her way over to him. She wanted to be close in case they needed to make a quick getaway, despite how unlikely it would be a successful one.

"I mean you no harm demigods. I came to your aide before the Titan could slay you. Now I am simply providing you with a place to rest before you must continue your journey."

Percy eyed her suspiciously. Reyna leaned down and whispered something in ear that made his eyes widen. He jumped off the couch and bowed deeply to the goddess before him. Reyna looked surprised but judging by his reaction, she decided doing the same was probably her best option.

"My apologies Lady Hemera, I meant no disrespect. I did not know to whom I was speaking." Percy said keeping his head down.

Hemera watched him with amusement. Her sky blue eyes sparkled as she smiled at him warmly.

"Please Perseus; you and your companion may rise. There is no need for formalities with me. I know who you are and where you come from. I was a friend to your people when they spent more time on this planet. They are a far more civilized people than the ones who rule the world today."

Percy's eyes came up and landed on the goddess, finally getting a good look at her for the first time. She was absolutely gorgeous but her eyes held such power that if they weren't also full of kindness, she would be downright terrifying. He slowly got to his feet before a look of confusion appeared on his face.

"Why on earth would you be in a place like this my lady? Shouldn't you be up in the heavens with Lord Aether?"

Hemera gave him a small, almost sad smile, "This is where I spend my nights Perseus. Each morning I leave and bring my love's light to the world. The day is when I am with my husband, but at night, I come here, where my mother makes her home."

Percy slowly nodded, "You saved us. Why would you destroy a Titan just to save two mortal demigods?"

Hemera shrugged her shoulders, "I do not like that Titan. I was simply going to take you two away but when he thought he could tell me what I am and am not allowed to do, well, let's just say I showed him the true power of a Protogenoi."

Reyna's eyes widened a little, "Is he dead?"

"For now." Hemera said waving her hand dismissively. "Killing an immortal is not an easy task, even for someone like me. It will be a couple centuries before he is able to reform though. Perhaps next time he will mind his place in the pecking order of the world. As for why I saved you, that would be because of you, young Perseus. I know what destiny awaits you and how important your life is. I would not let it end at the hands of a Titan who had no right to challenge two demigods in the first place."

Percy was shocked she knew who he was and even more so that she came to their aid because of him. This was one of the Primordial goddesses; the absolute first of their kind, rarely ever seen in the form of a mortal. Most of the time they were the embodiment of whatever it was they were, such as the day in the case of Hemera. To have one come to their aide was something unheard of. He looked up to find the goddess watching him with amusement. Despite how much power her eyes held, she seemed to radiate kindness and warmth, something about her put his mind at ease.

"We are deeply in your debt my lady." He said gratefully. "But if I may ask, where exactly are we right now?"

"This is my home, where I spend my nights. And I am deeply sorry but I cannot bring you out of Tartarus. This is part of your journey and you must overcome this challenge on your own." She said in a slightly apologetic tone.

Percy felt his heart drop at her words but he knew there were only so many things immortals were allowed to do when it came to aiding mortals.

"You have done more than we could ever thank you for. We would be dead right now if not for you. Please, you have no need to apologize to us."

Hemera gave him a gentle smile, "Still, it pains me to see such strong heroes in a place like this. I will help you as much as I can but when night ends, I must return you to where I found you." She said before waving her hand as a small table appeared in front of the two demigods. On the table was an array of foods and pitchers of water which they didn't hesitate to grab, pouring themselves glasses that they drank hungrily. The length of time they had been without sustenance truly hit home when they saw the food and drink laid out before them.

After drinking a few glasses each, they both found seats behind them. They looked up to find the goddess already seated and watching them with a smile.

Percy stopped before grabbing any food, a look of embarrassment on his face as he realized he was still shirtless. "Excuse me my lady, but do you happen to have my shirt. It feels rude to be eating half naked in front of two ladies, one being a goddess no less."

Hemera let out a small giggle, "Are you sure Perseus? I believe your friend is enjoying the view." She teased as Reyna's face suddenly turned a crimson red making the goddess laugh again. "I must say, for a mortal, you certainly have the body of a young god. Are you sure you need to be clothed for this meal? Being in this mortal form right now makes your appearance rather pleasing to me as well."

Percy's eyes widened a little. What the Hel was going on down here in Tartarus? He thought as he remembered the lustful looks the Empousai had given him. He was starting to feel like a piece of meat as the eyes of both Hemera and Reyna were on his bare body.

"Um," he answered awkwardly before Hemera laughed again and snapped her fingers, a shirt appearing on his body, much to his relief.

"Thank you my lady."

-x-

The two demigods ate their fill, forcing themselves to drink more than they even wanted as they assumed this would be the only chance they had to eat and drink again while in Tartarus; or ever, in the likely case they never made it out.

Once they had eaten past their limits, Hemera waved her hand as the food vanished from sight, leaving the table empty.

Percy stood up assuming it was time to go but Hemera raised an eyebrow at him making him sit down again quickly.

"We are almost out of time but not quite." She said kindly. "Before I send you back, I have something that will help you on your journey, something for both of you actually."

Reyna and Percy were both surprised by her words but stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.

"Ladies first," the goddess said before waving her hand in Reyna's direction. A gleaming sword appeared on the table in front of her making Reyna gasp at its beauty. The sword was bronze with an intricate leather hilt, the blade inlaid with the most beautiful gems; diamonds, rubies, emeralds and some she couldn't even recognize. The weapon was truly a piece of art; undoubtedly the most beautiful Reyna had ever laid eyes on.

"A gift for you since you are weaponless in this forsaken place. This sword was forged in the heavens, forged for my husband to gift to a son, should he ever have one. Alas, we had but one child and it was a girl. This is a powerful sword my dear. It will serve as a beacon of light when there is none. Something to guide you on the right path should you ever lose your way."

Reyna slowly picked up the weapon, looking at it in awe. It was as light as a feather and despite the brightness of the room; it seemed to produce its own light, as if the light had actually been forged into the metal. It was like nothing she had seen before and she couldn't believe it was being given to her.

Reyna looked up in shock at the goddess, "Thank you my lady. I am honored to carry a weapon created by you or your husband."

Hemera smiled at her before turning to Percy and waving her hand towards him. A matching shield appeared in front of him, looking exactly like the goddess described it, a weapon forged for a god.

"And the sword's matching shield for young Perseus. A fitting gift considering who wields the sword forged to go with it. It shall be a reminder to you that no matter how strong you are alone, you are never stronger than you are with your counterpart. I believe you will soon understand how important that advice is young hero."

Percy picked up the shield, slightly awed by its beauty as well. He glanced at Reyna as he thought about the goddess' words. Her face was tinted pink but she had a small smile on it as well. Percy turned back to the goddess and bowed his head.

"I know I am but a mortal but should you ever require anything, you need only say the word my lady and I will be there. You have my word as an Asgardian."

Hemera stood up, her regal looking face etched with a warm smile. She slowly approached the two demigods before her hands went to their pockets, stashing something inside before she put a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Find your way out of this wretched place and when you get back to the mortal world, put that insufferable underworld goddess in her place and you can consider your debt paid Perseus."

Percy nodded and smiled but before he could respond, he and Reyna were forced to close their eyes as the familiar feeling of being teleported made them feel as if they were being ripped apart from the inside out.

They reappeared in the same desolate plain they had battled the Titan Koios in. Except they now stood at the end of it, where they quickly discovered the reason the river had vanished from their sights.

They stood at the top of a one hundred foot vertical drop off. The Phlegethon flowed right over the edge of the cliff, a waterfall of pure flames that showered the pool at the bottom with flames before resuming its winding path across yet another plain inside Tartarus. Even in a place like this, the site was almost beautiful.

Then they looked at the plain laid out before them. This one was smaller though. At the end, the flames seemed to extinguish and vanish as it met up with a body of water that looked every bit as dark and foreboding as the stories of it claimed it to be.

The River Styx.

The river on which oaths were sworn and enforced by the river goddess Styx herself.

"There it is," Reyna said pointing to where the two rivers met. "I wonder why a river made of fire would join with a river made of water." She wondered out loud.

"It was said that the goddess Styx was in love with the river god Phlegethon. But when they met, she was consumed by his flames and sent to Hades. When Hades allowed her river to flow through, they reunited, here in Tartarus."

Reyna turned to look at him in disbelief, "How do you know all this? I mean seriously, who knows this stuff?"

Percy chuckled a bit, "Hey, some of these lessons have been helpful. We'd be dead right now if I didn't know to drink from the River of Fire."

Reyna rolled her eyes before she looked down the cliff, her face turning a sickly shade of white when she did. Percy noticed her face and smiled, knowing he was going to pay for this. He snatched her up and put her on his shoulder in a fireman's carry. Before she had a chance to yell at him, he ran forward and jumped over the edge.

Reyna managed one panicked scream before all the air was ripped from her lungs as they free-fell down the cliff. Suddenly they seemed to stop in mid-air before resuming their descent at a much slower pace.

"I'm going to kill you Jackson."

"Um, did I mention I thought you were beautiful?"

"Dead Percy. You. Are. Dead." She growled before she felt Percy's feet hit the ground then her own as he set her down.

She turned to him looking furious before he held up the shield in front of him defensively.

"Later. When we get out of here, I'm kicking your ass." She hissed, unaware of the smirk plastered on his face as he hid behind his shield.

Percy lowered his shield and smiled at her. Suddenly his shield vanished and he felt something on his hand. A ring sat on his right ring finger giving off a slight glow to it making him smile.

Reyna's sword, which was sheathed in her scabbard also vanished, a matching ring appeared on her finger.

"Look like wedding rings." Percy muttered to which Reyna glared at him, still furious he jumped without warning her.

"It's the wrong hand dumbass. Let's move before I give in to my urge to punch you."

Percy chuckled and snatched up her hand, a little surprised when she didn't pull it away. They made their way back over to the Phlegethon and began walking along its shores of charred black glass.

After a good fifteen minutes of walking, the sounds of an argument ahead of them had the two demigods diving behind a small boulder for cover. Reyna slowly poked her head around the rock as she tried to make out what was ahead of them. The dimly lit area only allowed her to make out shadows in the distance. She could see a half dozen of them, all large and looking like they were in the middle of an argument.

Percy tried to say something but she swatted at him to silence him as she tried to listen to what they were saying.

"Scary lady said to wait here. Tasty demigods would come to us." One of the voices grunted.

She could hear a few of the other shadows murmur their agreement before another stepped forward and smacked the speaker.

"I say we find tasty demigods ourselves. No more waiting." The attacker growled back. The first shadow seemed intimidated by his attacker and remained silent.

"We find dinner now. No more waiting. Scary lady does not tell me what to do."

Reyna crept back behind the boulder where she noticed Percy with a look of concentration on his face as he focused on the voices as well.

She looked at him questioningly, silently asking what he thought they should do.

Percy's eyes drifted to the ground in front of them. He looked around for a moment before grabbing a few of the larger shards of glass. Reyna looked confused but Percy stood up and threw the shards in the direction they had come from. The sound of glass shattering was easily heard from where they were and the sounds of large creatures turning in that direction told them the monsters had heard it too.

"Told you dinner would come to us." The first monster grunted boastfully before the sound of several large feet stomping in their direction made Reyna look at Percy like he was crazy.

Percy simply winked as he backed up a few steps, waiting as the sounds of clumsy footsteps drew closer.

He waited until the first monster ran past them before he jolted from his spot, the shield appearing in his hands as he charged out from behind the boulder and slammed into the side of one of the Cyclops, sending the monster stumbling sideways into the River of Fire where his screams of agony was quickly muffled as the fire consumed him.

Before the other Cyclops could figure out what happened, Percy kicked a mess of the glass shards into their faces as three clutched their single eyes in a panic.

Percy tossed his shield like a frisbee into the stomach of one of the non-blinded monsters causing it to groan and hunch over only to receive a drop kick to the chest, sending it toppling into the river just as his brethren did before him.

Percy rolled to side, barely avoiding the stomping foot of a Cyclops who suddenly stiffened, a glowing sword sprouting out of its midsection before Reyna wrenched the weapon free and the monster dissolved to dust.

Reyna turned to face the Cyclops that had run past them as Percy jumped to his feet with three partially blinded monsters groping at the air in front of them as they tried to find the demigod.

Percy charged forward unarmed. He jumped on the shield, using it like a sled as he slid under the reach of a Cyclops, grabbing hold of its loincloth as he went by. The monster shrieked in outrage as he reached desperately for Percy and his missing clothing.

The other two blinded Cyclops turned and grabbed in his direction hoping to find Percy but one just found empty space while the other found just about the last thing he wanted. The now naked monster turned and slammed him fist into the face of the Cyclops still with a firm grasp on his, well, his Cyclopshood was the way Percy put it in his head.

The monster staggered back, tripping over a rock before he tumbled back into the flames of the Phlegethon. Percy spun around in a three-sixty, swinging his shield with as much power as he could must as it slammed into the chest of the one remaining clothed monster. The monster staggered back into his brother only to be thrown out of the way as the nudist Cyclops had finally cleared his vision. He looked murderously at Percy.

"I will eat you slow, tasty demigod."

It took one step towards the still unarmed Percy Jackson only to cry out in pain as a glowing bronze sword cut clean through its leg, severing the appendage from its body and dropping it to the ground as it quickly started to bleed to death. Reyna turned to the final Cyclops, still on the ground after being tossed by his brother and drove her sword through its chest, sending it, well, not far but away from them, at least for the moment. She looked at the other monster which began to dissolve, the blood loss too severe to survive any longer.

"Seriously Percy?" Reyna said turning to look at him in disbelief.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"Was it completely necessary for you to rip off his loincloth? That image is now seared into my irises."

Percy rolled his eyes, "Hey, despite how unpleasant the sight of it was, it was effective, right?"

Reyna shook her head as she glanced ahead of them. The place where the Phlegethon and Styx intersected was only about twenty yards ahead of them. It wasn't that sight that drew the young demigoddess' attention. No, it was the small, frail looking figure standing at the spot where the two rivers intersected. It seemed to be watching the spot where the rivers met, the icy waters of the Styx consuming the flames before they flowed together.

The two demigods crept closer, trying to make it there unnoticed but when they were within ten feet, that plan went out the window.

"So the demigods have made it this far." The figure whose voice was hoarse and feminine said with a hint of surprise. "I must say I did not expect to see you here but decided to wait on the off-chance you did make it."

Reyna touched the ring on her finger as her sword appeared in her hand but Percy looked at her and shook his head vehemently. She grudgingly allowed the sword to return into its form as a ring.

"And who is it that is waiting for us, if you don't mind me asking." Percy said with confidence but he was also on edge, expecting things to turn bad as they were in Tartarus and well, things tended rarely go well.

The figure turned revealing what appeared to be a victim of starvation. A thin layer of dust covered her skin and bones body. Her eyes were sunken into her head and her gray hair matted and stringy. She had a drippy red nose like she has been battling a cold for pretty much eternity and red claw marks marred her already fragile looking face.

"I am Akhyls, and you two do not belong here. This is a place for the dead and the damned. This is not for the living."

"Akhyls?" Reyna whispered looking at Percy confused. She immediately knew this was not good when Percy's face lost its color.

"Goddess of Misery and Poison and keeper of the Death Mist." Percy said back softly but knew the goddess could hear them easily.

"Ah, young Perseus Jackson is well versed on his gods and goddesses. Most do not know who I am or what it is I do. Continue little demigod, what is my purpose here?"

"You are the keeper of the Death Mist. It shrouds mortals as they pass into the Underworld, shrouds them in misery to be more exact."

Akhyls seemed quite pleased with Percy's explanation. She took a step closer as her eyes landed on the rings on their fingers giving off a slight glow.

"I see you met my sister. I'm afraid I am not nearly as helpful as she."

Neither Reyna nor Percy really knew what to make of those words. They weren't sure if they should be preparing for a fight or thinking about fleeing. Fighting such a fragile looking person seemed strange but both knew looks could be deceiving, when it came to immortals at least.

As if reading their thoughts, (which could very well be true), the goddess laughed. But it was hard to tell if it was a laugh, as it soon turned into coughing as her body was racked with a violent fit. When she calmed down though, her laughter continued as if she hadn't spit out a lung in the process.

"I'm afraid both options are poor choices little demigods. You are in my home and there is nowhere to hide from me down here."

Percy glanced at Reyna, silently telling her that their best option, out of their crappy list of options, was to fight.

Akhyls held up her hand as a putrid looking mist wrapped around it.

"Fighting is another poor option but fortunately for you, I am not here to harm you. I simply came to observe you two, the first living demigods to make it more than an hour in Tartarus. You still have very long to go but should you pass your next challenge, we will meet again in the home of my mother." She said before she vanished into a puff of the eerie looking mist that had wrapped around her hand.

Percy glanced at Reyna as they both visibly relaxed.

"Well, that was strange." He muttered quietly, wondering if the goddess was truly gone.

Reyna shook her head, "Is there anything about gods or goddesses that you don't know? You're like an encyclopedia of the divine."

He chuckled softly, "Don't be jealous, not everyone can be this good looking and still be smart."

Reyna stared at him in disbelief for a minute but before she could speak, he grabbed her hand pulling her back a few feet behind some rocks.

"We need to be careful. It is foolish to remain in the open like that. And I was kidding, I'm not really that conceited. Now we need to be ready, this plain is bigger than the first. At the end, it sounds like we're going to run into Akhyls' mother."

"Who is her mother? I thought we were supposed to find some Mansion of Night at the end of the plain?"

"Yes," Percy said solemnly. "I believe the Mansion of Night will belong to Nyx, or Nox to you, Goddess of Night, one of the most powerful Protogenoi and I find it unlikely she will be as friendly as her daughter Hemera."

Reyna's stomach dropped a little at the thought of meeting another of the Protogenoi. Never in her life did she think she would lay eyes on such powerful beings, let alone be running into them around every corner as she made her way through Tartarus. She glanced at Percy and shook her head; this single demigod had managed to turn her world upside down in just a few short months. But despite the constant near death experiences and being thrown into the most damned place in existence, she couldn't really think of anything she would change. Despite the constant chaos that followed Percy Jackson, it made things exciting and it was something she was okay with getting used to. They both might be dead in a few hours but she could think of worse people's sides to die by.

Percy snapped his fingers in front of her face making her shake herself out of her internal musings.

"You okay?"

Reyna nodded slowly before her hand reached out, grabbing him by the shirt as she roughly pulled him to her and crashed her lips onto his.

Percy's eyes widened for a second before he smiled into the kiss and returned it with just as much enthusiasm. He wasn't sure where this came from but he certainly wasn't going to complain about the beautiful girl pulling him into passionate kisses.

When they broke apart, Reyna's cheeks burned but she smiled nonetheless.

"You know, just in case."

Percy smiled right back, "I could certainly think of worse things to do right before I died."

-x-

They tried to scout out the area ahead of them as best they could but the dimly lit sky, if it was a sky, did nothing but hinder the visibility of the area ahead of them. What they could see looked clear but they both knew that meant basically nothing as the next monster or immortal could be waiting for them in the shadows. They backtracked a bit, far enough to both drink from the River of Fire one last time to ensure they didn't start falling susceptible to the effects of the pit again.

After reliving the painful experience of drinking fire for the third time, the two made their way into the plain. They both felt very exposed as the plain was mostly flat and provided very little cover. As they walked, they finally realized just how large the area before them was. It seemed to be endless. After fifteen minutes of walking at a hurried pace, there was no end in sight; just an everlasting continuation of the same desolate scene. They hung close to the River Styx, allowing it to provide them what little protection they could find as it shielded them from being blindsided or ambushed and gave them a chance to see any threat from a distance instead of being taken by surprise.

The demonic winged creatures still loomed overhead, occasionally breaking through the clouds but they seemed to pay the two demigods little mind. They weren't sure if they just weren't being noticed or if the monsters had decided attacking the demigods was a bad idea after the Titan crushed two of their kind beneath his massive feet, but they were thankful for the break in creatures looking to eat them.

They continued walking, the mere thought of being in Tartarus making each passing step more difficult. What relief they had found in their visit with the Goddess of the Day soon vanished as the toxic air and searing heat weighed on the duo in the most exhausting ways possible. Each stepped became more difficult than the last and the lack of noticeable progress only served to drown out any hopeful thoughts of escape.

After a good hour of walking, they both stopped, eager for a break from the journey. As they caught their breath, the sound of commotion in distance forced them to both look ahead where they paled a bit at what they saw.

About fifty yards ahead, a Drakon stood in the middle of the plain, slowly munching down on the corpse of what looked like a Telekhine. It was tough to tell since half the monster has been bitten off and was being chewed on by the massive creature.

"Shit," Percy muttered.

"We can wait until it leaves." Reyna offered but in her mind she doubted the monster was going anywhere. Akhyls has said they would face more challenges when they tried to cross the plain and this was most likely one she was referring to.

"No, we need to kill it. It's just one Drakon; two Centurions of the twelfth legion of the Roman army should be able to do it." Percy countered trying to lift her spirits a little.

Reyna nodded, feeling her confidence rise at the mention of the legion. Being lost in the infernal damnation of Tartarus had almost made her forget about Rome; her home, a place where she and Percy held positions of authority. This thought brought her thinking to the legion and the Senate and how they would react when they returned. Would they shun Percy after finding out everything he told them was a lie? He had basically sacrificed himself to protect them but she knew that would most likely be outweighed by the fact he lied to gain entry into the legion, a crime punishable by death. The thought of returning to Rome without Percy made her heart drop a bit. He may not be a true Roman but he personified their beliefs more than anyone she had ever met. He put his duty first, before everything else, his life included. He was the definition of a leader, a true Roman even if his blood said otherwise.

No, she would make sure he was accepted. That was where he belonged, leading their Roman soldier into this war at her side as they had done in the battle at Camp Jupiter.

She shook those thoughts from her head and looked at Percy seriously, "Your decision Percy. I will follow you no matter what you choose."

He nodded, feeling energized by the faith she showed in him.

"Let's kick this monster's ass. We've got to get out of this hellhole and it's standing in our way. We've got a goddess needing an ass-kicking for sending us here in the first place."

Before either had a chance to change their minds, they stepped out into the open. Reyna's sword appeared in her hand, glowing brightly like a homing beacon alerting the monster to their location.

The monster's head snapped up, the remaining half of the Telekhine in its mouth before tossed it in the air and caught it in its mouth, gulping it down with a quick crunch before its eyes set on the two demigods making their way closer to it.

Percy took the lead, his shield in one hand and Mjolnir in the other as the Drakon slithered its way closer to them. As the monster closed the distance, Percy hurled his mighty hammer at it. The Drakon moved with unbelievable speed, avoiding the weapon before its mouth opened and it spit poison at him. He managed to protect himself by taking cover behind his shield but as he looked up again, the monster was right in front of him.

The Drakon reared its head back and made to lunge at Percy when Reyna jumped in front, swinging her glowing blade at its neck. The monster pulled back but not before her sword connected with its neck. To her utter shock, the blade made almost no impact on the giant beast.

The Drakon backtracked, trying to put some distance between it and its intended prey. Reyna charged forward but as she did, she heard Percy yelling at her stop. The monster spun around, smacking Reyna with its massive tail and sending her flying back where Percy managed to catch her.

"We need to run. This is a Lydian Drakon. Its scales are harder than titanium. There is no way for us to kill it. Our only chance is escape."

Reyna's eyes widened as Percy set her down. The monster was already slithering its way toward them. Percy held out his hand, Mjolnir flying back just as the monster snapped its massive jaws at them. Percy smacked it away and started to backtrack but the Drakon recovered quickly slithering in their direction again as the two demigods spread out, trying to confuse it.

It looked at Percy and the glowing godly weapon in his hands before it turned its attention to Reyna, deciding she would be its easier snack. It spit poison at her that she managed to roll to the side to avoid. Before she could recover though, the monster loomed over her. Before it could lunge, it suddenly reeled back, a son of Thor catching an unwelcome ride on its back before he slammed his hammer into its spine.

The monster bucked, knocking Percy off its back and spun with uncanny speed, smacking him with its tail and sending him flying…. Straight into the River Styx.

Reyna screamed when she saw Percy land with a big splash in the river. She turned to look at the monster that just killed her boyfriend, blinding rage coursing through her body. She charged, spinning to avoid its snapping jaws before she swung her blade at its head, cutting a deep gash in its left eye as the monster staggered back, blood pouring from its wound and half blinded as it tried to retreat.

Percy cursed loudly as he felt the splash of landing in the River Styx. After the initial shock, he realized he was dead; the river would burn away his very soul. His entire body felt like it caught fire; the pain was so blinding it was impossible to form cognitive thoughts. He sank deeper into the river, his body slowly starting to dissolve as he sunk. He couldn't believe he had failed. He failed to stop Hel; failed to save the Earth and failed to live up to the name of his father and to the reputation as an Asgardian.

Those thoughts were pushed aside as a new thought took over his mind.

He had failed Reyna.

He failed to protect her when she fell into Tartarus trying to save him. Failed to get her out of this damned place and left her alone to face its horrors. Now she was stuck up there fighting an impossible to kill monster alone. Now she would die. Die in this place, never to return to her home, never to see her people again, the people she thought of as her family.

Suddenly, he stopped sinking.

He felt a tug on lower back as he kept thinking of the people he let down.

He saw the face of his adoptive mothers, all with looks of sadness and grief while Eir cried openly.

He saw Jason, trying to lead the cohort without him as they took on a massive army of both Roman and Norse monsters. The image shifted to later in the battle, dead bodies of Roman Legionnaires littering the ground as the monsters took their time finishing them off.

He saw Frank, his bow in hand and several arrows in his chest as he lay bleeding to death in the middle of a huge battle.

His vision suddenly became much clearer.

He watched as Reyna tried to battle the Drakon. She landed several well placed attacks in fatal areas but the monster just kept coming. Its armored scales protecting it from anything Reyna threw at it. She avoided its jaws as she nimbly jumped aside only to have the monster's tail knock her feet out from under her.

She turned and looked right in Percy's direction, her beautiful dark eyes silently pleading for help just before the monster's jaws clamped down on her throat.

Percy screamed with such rage, a rabid, primal scream that sent shockwaves through the water before he was suddenly propelled forward and out of the Styx. He was spit out, landing on a knee on the banks of the river, his entire body still feeling as if it were on fire before he laid eyes on Reyna as she struggled against the monstrous Drakon.

He held out his hand as Mjolnir flew out of the river, straight into his hand as his entire body sparked with electricity.

He sprinted forward with unbelievable speed, cutting the Drakon off as it closed in on Reyna, and smashed Mjolnir into the side of its head. As the monster staggered, Percy charged, whipping his hammer forward as it slammed into the leg of the monster causing it to lose its footing as fall to the ground. Before it could recover, Percy caught Mjolnir as it flew back to him as he stood over the stunned creature. He didn't hesitate as he drove its skull straight into the ground with an overhand swing of his hammer, its head slamming against the ground before the monster lurched backwards, clearly stunned by the pain it was dealt at the hands of the demigod.

Reyna gasped when she laid eyes on Percy, his skin red and looking like it had just been dipped in boiling water.

The monster slowly began to recover its wits when a massive shadow appeared over it. Both demigods looked up to see a twenty foot giant looming over the Drakon before it latched onto its neck with meaty hands and snapped its neck with ease. He shoved the monster aside as it began to dissolve before laying eyes on the two demigods before it.

Percy and Reyna stood side by side, weapons in hand. They looked at the giant creature before them and wondered if they would ever catch a break while they were trapped, fighting with everything they had as they tried to claw their way out of perdition.


	19. Better Homes & Gardens, The Tartarus Edition

Ch. 19

Last Chapter…

Reyna gasped when she laid eyes on Percy, his skin red and looking like it had just been dipped in boiling water.

The monster slowly began to recover its wits when a massive shadow appeared over it. Both demigods looked up to see a twenty foot giant looming over the Drakon before it latched onto its neck with meaty hands and snapped its neck with ease. He shoved the monster aside before laying eyes on the two demigods before it.

Percy and Reyna stood side by side, weapons in hand. They looked at the giant creature before them and wondered if they would ever catch a break while they were trapped, fighting with everything they had as they tried to claw their way out of perdition.

Now…

Percy wasn't sure what to do. This wasn't a Titan. It simply didn't look like anything like a Titan. It was something powerful, that much was a given. Its appearance was rather intimidating and something in his mind told him he should know what this was.

It was obviously a male. From the top he was humanoid, with cherry-red skin. His beard and hair were the color of iron rust. He had bushy eyebrows, and multiple scars on his face from what could only be from battles. His hair was in dreadlocks that looked to be decorated with tufts of grass, leaves, and swamp flowers. From the bottom, he had the legs of a dragon, colored red with claws on his feet.

"Oh, shit, shit shit." Percy muttered quietly as he began backing up, taking care to pull Reyna with him.

Reyna glanced at Percy who looked drained of blood, his face pale white before she looked back up at the giant. What she saw made her pause. Instead of stalking towards them or even looking at them menacingly, his shoulders were slumped and a general look of sadness on his face.

She shook off Percy's hand and took a step forward.

"What are you doing?" Percy hissed at her. "We need to run, that thing will kill us like insects."

Reyna heard his words but something about them didn't match up with what she was looking at. She knew how knowledgeable Percy was when it came to this stuff but something in her heart told her she was right.

She ignored his pleas to run and walked closer to the giant. When she stood only a short five feet away, the giant's head lifted a bit, looking at her with curiosity.

"Thank you for killing the Drakon. It would have killed me and my friend had you not saved us." Reyna said gently. She was nervous. She prayed she was correct or things could quickly go badly for her.

Percy made his way to her side, Mjolnir clutched tightly in his hand as he prepared for a fight.

After a moment, the giant spoke. "It was no trouble. I have battled that Drakon many times over my long life. It can be very difficult to kill."

Reyna gave him a small smile while Percy continued to wait for a fight. When it didn't come, he glanced at Reyna with disbelief before turning to the giant.

"Who are you? And why did you help us? I know what you are."

The giant frowned a bit but his expression wasn't angry, more dejected at being judged by his species.

"My name is Damasen, son of Gaea and Tartarus. I am not like my brethren, I mean you no ill-will demigod."

Percy was surprised. He couldn't actually remember such a giant mentioned in his studies of the first Gigantomachy. He glanced at Reyna again to find her glaring at him, warning him to keep his big mouth shut unless he had something useful to say.

Percy frowned a little but decided to try and learn more about the giant, "My apologies, I've just never heard of you and I thought I knew of all the Gigantes who fought in the war with the Olympians. By the way, my name is Percy and this," he said gesturing to her, "is Reyna."

Reyna looked surprised. She had never heard about a war with Olympus outside of the first Titan War.

Damasen shrugged his giant shoulders, "I did not fight in the war. I was born to oppose Ares and am the anti-war god. I preferred a more peaceful life, away from the conflicts and violence of war."

Both Percy and Reyna were silent, both trying to digest the information; Reyna that this was a son of two Primordial deities and Percy that he was standing in front of the only peaceful Giagante he had ever heard of. He wasn't completely convinced but it appeared Reyna was and he decided to follow her lead for a change, she had been following his without question since they landed in Tartarus.

Damasen looked down at Reyna and the blood leaking out her leg from her battle with the Drakon.

"If you wish, I can provide you with a safe place to rest and heal your injuries young ones. It is not far from here."

Reyna quickly nodded while Percy was apprehensive. It wasn't that he thought the giant wished to harm them so much as he didn't really trust anything he had met in Tartarus yet.

"Reyna, I don't know." He whispered.

She turned to look him in the eyes, "We'll be fine Percy, I know what I'm doing. We need a place to rest considering you're currently the color of an overcooked lobster."

Percy looked down at his skin and realized she was right. He was bright red and now that he had a second to relax, he realized how much his skin still burned. Regardless of the pain, he was wary of following a son of Tartarus anywhere.

"You're going to have to explain how exactly you're still alive too. That should have killed you." She added before she grabbed his hand, her eyes asking him to trust her.

He wanted to argue but something about her face made him relent. He slowly nodded and allowed her to pull him along by the hand as they followed the twenty foot half-human, half-dragon deeper into the pit where Percy hoped they weren't walking to their deaths.

-x-

They followed Damasen for almost twenty minutes. He brought them down the River Styx for a while before a makeshift bridge came into view. After it managed to hold the weight of the giant, they followed where they found themselves in front of a large swamp. In the middle of the swamp was a hut made from what appeared to be large bones and an assortment of swamp grass, and leaves and some ugly looking flowers that Percy guessed were found around the nicer parts of Tartarus.

Leading to the hut, was a pathway made up of more bones with a layer of leaves to pad the footing a bit.

Percy was nervous. The sight of so many things made of bones made him uneasy. Sure the bones were large but that didn't mean there weren't some smaller demigod bones mixed in as well.

Reyna seemed confident though and tugged him along as she followed Damasen across the makeshift walkway and into his hut where Percy's apprehension only grew. Everything, literally just about everything in the hut was made of bones. Some large and some not so large, but everything in there was created with a mix of assorted bones, leaves and grass.

The giant made his way across the hut before coming back with two very small chairs made out of, you guessed it, more bones.

Percy finally decided it was time to speak up.

"You host people our size on a regular basis? Strange, I haven't seen any other demigods on our journey through the pit, makes me wonder what happened to them."

Damasen frowned again. He set the chairs down a few feet away from the two demigods and backed away, as if trying to show he wasn't a threat.

"Occasionally I come across a civilized monster who is in need of aide. After so many years down here, one cannot be picky on the company he gets."

Reyna looked at Percy harshly before taking the seat offered to her. Percy just sighed; he realized he was quickly getting on Reyna's bad side; not a place he enjoyed being.

He sat down and looked up a Damasen who was seated in a much larger chair across the room.

"I am sorry. It's just, well honestly, I didn't really expect to find anyone not looking to eat or kill us down here in Tartarus. If you don't mind me asking, how is it that you ended up here if you didn't fight in the war against the Olympians?"

A bitter look appeared on the giant's face, the first bit of emotion other than sadness he had shown since they met him.

"When I was born, I refused to fight in the war. Instead, I chose to tend sheep and farm. My life was peaceful. I had many mortal friends with whom I enjoyed my life. It was a good life until everything changed. A Drakon showed up in the town I was living in. It was about to kill a good friend of mine when his sister pleaded with me to help. In my anger at seeing my dying friend, I shoved the trunk of a tree down the Drakon's throat, killing it. When my mother learned of my actions, she opened up the Earth and banished me into my father's realm. Here I am cursed to constantly have to kill the same Drakon I killed on Earth, never to escape and never to find peace."

Both Reyna and Percy looked surprised by the story. They couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for the son of Tartarus and Gaea.

"Wow, your mom is kind of a bitch."

Reyna slapped Percy's arm to shut him up even though she couldn't help but agree with his words.

Damasen just sighed, "I was born to fight a war for her. But being the anti-Ares, I just wanted to enjoy a quiet life. My parents have never and will never forgive me for not doing what I was born to do."

Percy shook his head, "I'm sorry for judging you so quickly. You've done nothing but help us and saved our lives from that Lydian Drakon."

"Maeonian Drakon," Damasen corrected. "It is a close relative to the Lydian but that was a Maeonian Drakon. It is the same one whom I killed centuries ago. Forever destined to be killed by me for all of eternity. That is what everything I own is made from, the bones of the Drakon. No matter how many times I kill it, it simply reforms no more than a week later only to be killed by me again."

Reyna looked at Damasen with sympathy. She wasn't sure what to say but before she could speak, he stood up, rummaging through some of his belongings before he came back with a large bowl filled with something she couldn't see. He knelt down beside Reyna who watched him closely, wondering what exactly he was doing.

He dabbed his finger into the bowl and gently applied it to the wound on her leg. She tensed when he touched it but then sighed as she felt a cooling sensation come over her injury. She looked down in disbelief as the wound quickly closed up and left no sign of the injury at all.

"That's amazing." She said in awe.

Damasen gave her a small smile, "I was always a better healer than I was a fighter. I suppose it goes with the whole anti-Ares thing as well."

The giant then turned to Percy, looking at him up and down before he shook his head, "You have no injuries. Your skin is almost its normal color again. There is nothing I can do to speed the process, only time can help you adjust to your curse."

Reyna's eyes widened, "What curse?"

Damasen glanced at Percy who looked thoughtful as if he was figuring it out.

"He fell into the River Styx. He should be dead. Instead, he now bears the Curse of Achilles."

"What does that mean?" Reyna asked worriedly.

"It means I'm invulnerable." Percy said slightly shocked. He poked his skin experimentally but couldn't really tell the difference. Despite the surprise, he couldn't help but smile at his new inability to be injured. "Achilles mother dipped him in the Styx when he was an infant in an attempt to burn away his mortality. She held him by the heel and afterword, every inch of him that was dipped in the river was invulnerable. That is why he died from an arrow to the heel, the one place his body was still susceptible to injury."

Reyna looked at Percy in disbelief, "But you fell into the river. I watched your whole body be submerged. Does that mean nowhere on your body can be injured?"

His expression turned unsure, "I don't know. I don't even know how I'm still alive."

"What did you see in the river, young demigod?" Damasen interrupted.

Percy stopped, thinking about to what he saw when he thought he was dying.

"I saw a lot of things. I saw my mothers, they were weeping. Then I saw my friends, Jason and Frank, and the rest of the legion being destroyed by an army of monsters." He said as he lost himself in those thoughts before he turned to look at Reyna. "Then I saw you. I saw you fighting the Drakon and then I saw it knock you down before you looked right at me. But it was like I was paralyzed, only able to watch as its jaws clamped onto your throat. Then, I just kind of exploded out of the river. I don't know, it happened so fast and the next thing I knew I was on the shores and I jumped back into the fight. That's when you," he looked at Damasen, "showed up and snapped its neck."

Reyna looked shocked. She turned to the giant who had an amused look on his face, the first such look from him since they met him.

"What does that mean?"

Damasen's smile only grew, "It means you saved his life. When he was losing his mortality, you anchored him to the mortal world. You pulled him out of the river. Only a powerfully strong connection with someone could do that. Many have tried but he is the first I have ever heard to live through a dip in the Styx, other than Achilles himself. There is one spot on his body that is still vulnerable, he will figure it out if he thinks about it."

Reyna turned to look at Percy who kept him eyes glued to Damasen. He was slightly embarrassed that Reyna was the one who pulled him out and now knew about it.

"You two should rest. You will be safe here for the night. I will have food for you in the morning before you can resume your quest." Damasen said standing up. He rummaged around and found a few rags that were the size of blankets for Percy and Reyna. He tossed them towards a small mound of grass and leaves. "I must go gather a few things but you have my word that no harm will come to you when you are under my roof."

Before either Reyna or Percy could say anything, the giant stepped out of the hut and took off somewhere into Tartarus.

Percy stood up and glanced at Reyna, still feeling awkward after having her learn what pulled him out of the river.

"Where is it?"

Percy raised an eyebrow, "Where's what?"

Reyna stepped closer to him, "Your one vulnerable spot."

He looked at her strangely, "What makes you think I'll tell you?"

She closed the distance between them, "Because I know you and you'll tell me."

He looked at her incredulously but she didn't waver at all. He thought back to his time in the river and remembered the tugging sensation he felt when he was in the river.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, guiding it first to his stomach. Reyna kept her eyes locked on his. He slowly guided her hand to his side as it grazed his hips before reaching his lower back. He brought her hand around and placed it in the small of his back. When her fingers grazed the spot, his body shivered involuntarily.

Reyna kept her eyes on him as she ran her fingers back and forth across the spot.

"So, it was really me that pulled you out?"

Percy's cheeks burned but he figured he should just tell her the truth, regardless of how embarrassed he felt.

"It was. When I was in there and dying, I saw all the people that matter most to me; my moms, Jason and Frank but as soon as they were there, it was like they were shoved aside and I saw you. I thought about the fact that I failed you, that I left you in Tartarus all alone and something in me kind of snapped. That was when it happened, the river just kind of spit me out. I just couldn't bear the thought of leaving you alone, not down here, not ever really."

Reyna brought her hand back around before pushing Percy back gently, sending him falling backwards into the pile of grass and leaves. She picked up the blankets Damasen had left them and laid down beside Percy, tossing the blankets around both of them. She climbed on top of Percy making his eyes widen a bit.

"Back when you said this was relationship, I was just being guarded. I have a tough time trusting people after everything that happened to me in my life. But not anymore Percy. Every minute we're stuck in this hellhole, I realize that I trust more than anyone I've ever known; more than my mother and Circe, more than my sister. The point is kind of moot now but I would follow you to the depths of Tartarus and back no matter how many times you asked. So yes, you're mine now Percy and no one, not this place and not that bitch Hel is going to take you away from me."

Percy just stared up at her, slightly unsure of what to say. He had never had a girl straddling him like this, not that he was complaining. But as Reyna poured out her heart to him, he felt the sensation of free falling, like his stomach dropped. It wasn't necessarily bad but it only made him more nervous.

Rather than saying anything, he reached up and grabbed her, pulling her to his side as he wrapped the blankets tightly around him before he gently placed his lips on hers, trying to covey the words he couldn't speak. Romance wasn't really his forte. Sure he could joke around and make inappropriate jokes but this was serious. Reyna was something special and he had no plans to let her out of his grasp ever again.

As they broke apart, she buried her face in his neck as they both let the exhaustion of the journey so far through Tartarus take effect as they drifted off to sleep, both their minds at peace now that they had finally got what they were feeling for each other out in the open.

-x-

The sound of something cracking broke Percy from his slumber. The first thing he noticed was the unfamiliar weight on his chest. His slowly opened his eyes to find a mess of black hair sprawled out over his chest. Reyna was unmoving, still slumbering silently and using Percy as a pillow. He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he looked down at her. Her usual stern features were relaxed and peaceful. He honestly couldn't fathom how beautiful she looked resting her head on him. He had seen the goddess Hemera in her mortal form and while she certainly was breathtaking, he decided Reyna's sleeping face gave the goddess a run for her money, at least to him anyway.

He managed to slip out from underneath the slumbering demigoddess, gently placing her head down on some matted up blankets he used as a makeshift pillow. Once free, he stood up and saw the giant Damasen looking at him with an eyebrow raised.

"What?" Percy asked slightly red faced.

The giant rolled his eyes but made no comment, instead turning back to what he was tinkering with at the moment.

Percy made his way over, trying to get a better look at what the giant was doing. When he saw what it was, he involuntarily spoke his mind.

"Damn," he muttered, "that looks awesome."

Damasen stopped what he was doing and examined his work. In his hand was a knife he had been using to shaves down the bones of a Drakon. Bone dust littered the ground beneath him but laid out on the table before him were an assortment of pieces of armor; they were made from the bones and scales of the Drakon from the day earlier complete with intricate designs that made the armor look utterly awesome.

He turned and looked at Percy, "I thought you and the girl could use some armor for the rest of your journey. Yours is rather battered and broken in places. This should be a much sturdier replacement. It will be a good way to protect you and cover your one vulnerable spot is, assuming you've found it."

Percy gazed at the armor again for a minute before he looked up at the giant looming over him.

"Why don't you come with us? Leave this place, you certainly don't belong here. Your mother still slumbers after the defeat of your brothers in the last war. You can be free again, free to live the peaceful life you wanted."

Damasen's expression turned to a bitter one but it was soon replaced with sadness.

"I cannot young Perseus. I am cursed to live here for all eternity. Going with you would only draw the attention of my father and that would ensure you never left this place." He explained, his voice sounding downtrodden and hopeless.

"Screw that. You did nothing wrong! Come with us, we're getting out of here, I don't care what it takes and you should come with us."

Damasen looked at Percy for a minute before his eyes drifted behind him where Reyna now stood, her expression serious.

"Percy's right. You don't belong here. We'll make it out and we'll make it with you too."

Damasen turned back to his table before grabbing up the human sized armor before laying it out in front of the two demigods.

"I am sorry but I cannot. You must continue your journey now. The longer you wait the less likely you are to succeed in finding the Doors of Death before you meet an opponent you cannot defeat."

Percy and Reyna both looked ready to argue but Damasen just turned his back to them.

"You are less than half a day's journey from the mansion of Nyx. You will undoubtedly not have an easy time getting through but if you use your wits, you may be able to escape with your lives. Go. I cannot protect you two any longer. Your demigod scents will attract monsters soon enough. You must not linger and keep moving." He ordered but his voiced was laced with sadness, like it pained him to part with the company of the two mortals.

Percy and Reyna exchanged a look but they both knew the giant was not going to waver from his decision. It was clear he had lost all hope of leaving here and them trying to convince him only seemed to make him more upset.

"Thank you," Reyna said speaking up, "for everything. You've done a lot for us and we don't have any way to repay you."

Damasen kept his back to to the two, "Do me one favor and you can consider your debt repaid."

Reyna and Percy both nodded, eager to help in any way they could.

"Get out of here. Just make it to the Doors of Death. Don't be trapped here for the rest of your lives like me. Just do that and I will be happy."

Both demigods frowned but nodded their heads in agreement. The strapped on their new armor, finding it fit them perfectly.

They both looked at Damasen one more time, thinking about trying to persuade him but he still had his back to them and was tinkering with something on his table.

Percy grabbed Reyna's hand and led her out of the hut, across the walkway and until they crossed the Styx on the makeshift bridge.

When they reached other side, they both stopped. Reyna had a look of regret on her face and Percy felt the same even if he wasn't showing it.

"There's nothing we can do. We certainly can't force a twenty foot giant to do anything he doesn't want. We need to forget about that, we still have a long way to go."

Reyna frowned but nodded nonetheless as they began their trek along the River Styx, hoping they wouldn't run into too much trouble before find the home of Nyx and her children.

After a few minutes of silence, Percy decided to break it as a question popped into his head.

"Hey, please don't mad at me for not knowing, but what's your last name?"

Reyna paused. She wasn't expecting that question and despite the innocence of it, she wasn't happy he asked.

"It doesn't matter. I left that name behind me before I arrived at Circe's island."

"What? Of course it matters. You know everything about me, literally everything, and I don't even know your last name. Hell, I don't even know where you're from. You always start on Circe's island when you tell me about your life." He said incredulously.

Reyna sent him a glare, trying to push home the point that he should just let it go. But Percy remained steadfast, unsure why she was so evasive about it. He grabbed her hand but she tried to pull it away making him frown. He held on and looked at her seriously.

"If you really don't want to tell me, then it's okay. I'll stop pushing about it."

Reyna didn't respond. She just kept her eyes on the ground before Percy began to walk again, not wishing to upset her over something that was obviously a touchy subject. He was a few feet away when Reyna sighed.

"Avila Ramírez-Arellano, that's my last name."

Percy turned back to her and gave her a nod. He gestured with his head as he turned to start walking again.

Reyna frowned and caught up with him.

"It's just that that's the name of my father. He was not a kind man. He did not take well to being abandoned by my mother and left with two daughters to raise by himself in Puerto Rico. I don't like to think about that time of my life, it wasn't the most pleasant."

Percy nodded again as he slipped his hand back in hers.

"Sweet. I'm dating a hot Latina."

Reyna stopped, sending him a harsh glare again that made him smile.

"What?" He asked innocently. "You don't want to talk about it. That's fine but it doesn't change the fact that you're hot and of Latina descent. Kind of exotic."

Reyna just stared at him in disbelief.

"I'm exotic? You're not even from this planet! Well, you are but your father and family isn't."

Percy's smile threatened to split his face.

"Guess that makes you one lucky girl now doesn't it?"

Reyna tried to remain calm but she couldn't stop a laugh from escaping her lips.

Percy looked mildly offended which only made her laugh more. He huffed dramatically and turned to walk away when Reyna stopped laughing.

"I'm sorry, but that was funny. You looked like a spoiled little teenage girl when you huffed."

Percy glanced back with a smirk on his face, "And he breaks through the tough exterior yet again. Another victory for Jackson." He said throwing his hands up in a mock celebration.

Reyna rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm only to recoil clutching her hand.

"Damn it. This isn't fair. I can't even hit you now."

Percy grabbed her hand in hers, rubbing his together over it before he smirked again.

"Well, you could always kill me. You're the only person who knows how to anymore."

Reyna rolled her eyes again, "Don't tempt me."

Percy smiled and pulled her along, "I'll take my chances."

They walked for a few hours, talking quietly as they traveled. Much to their relief, they went unchallenged. They would see monsters roaming through the plain freely but they seemed to pay the duo little mind. Whatever the reason for it was, they weren't complaining. Tartarus had already been headache enough and covering some ground without having to fight for their lives was a welcome change.

As the hours dragged on, they couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. They knew they must be getting close to where Nyx made her home and neither was anxious to meet the goddess. They toyed with the notion of making it past her mansion unnoticed but they both knew the chances of that happening weren't good.

Without any kind of notice, a wall of darkness appeared in front of them. It moved too quickly for them to even react before it overwhelmed them. When the darkness cleared they knew things were about to get interesting. In front of them stood a handful of beautiful dark-haired women. But their eyes were immediately drawn to the forty foot tall woman seated in a throne of darkness. All around the room where dozens of Hellhounds, their eyes glued on the two mortals now standing in the middle of the room.

She looked down at the two demigods before a pleased smile appeared on her face. She made to stand up but simply vanished, reappearing in front of them as a tall mortal sized woman in tight black dress. Her cleavage was quite visible as her long legs strode towards them, appearing when moving to being nothing more than black smoke. She came to a stop in front of the duo and looked at them with a smile that sent a chill down their spines. Her hand reached out and touched Percy's cheek, stroking it softly.

"So handsome this one. I believe you were worth the wait. We will have some fun Perseus Jackson, yes we will."


	20. Welcome of the Mansion of Rape

Ch. 20

Last Chapter…

Without any kind of notice, a wall of darkness appeared in front of them. It moved too quickly for them to even react before it overwhelmed them. When the darkness cleared they knew things were about to get interesting. In front of them stood a handful of beautiful dark-haired women. But their eyes were immediately drawn to the forty foot tall woman seated in a throne of darkness. All around the room where dozens of Hellhounds, their eyes glued on the two mortals now standing in the middle of the room.

She looked down at the two demigods before a pleased smile appeared on her face. She made to stand up but simply vanished, reappearing in front of them as a tall mortal sized woman in tight black dress. Her cleavage was quite visible as her long legs strode towards them, appearing when moving to being nothing more than black smoke. She came to a stop in front of the duo and looked at them with a smile that sent a chill down their spines. Her hand reached out and touched Percy's cheek, stroking it softly.

"So handsome this one. I believe you were worth the wait. We will have some fun Perseus Jackson, yes we will."

Now…

"Um," Percy said feeling awkward and utterly confused. "What?"

Reyna glared at the goddess. Despite the fact that Nyx could kill her with as little as a snap of her fingers, she felt anger bubbling up inside her. No one was allowed to touch Percy like that, she belonged to him now. They had been through more than enough together that now he belonged to her and her alone.

She was slightly nervous too. While Hemera was gorgeous, she was put to shame by her mother who simply radiated beauty and was downright sexy. Whatever it was, she was looking at Percy like a tasty piece of meat and Reyna doubted she had much interest in him as a snack.

Nyx just smiled at Percy before she turned, slowly walking away from him and towards a Hellhound who nuzzled against her leg affectionately as she stroked its head.

"You want to reach the Doors of Death, do you not?"

Percy glanced at Reyna who kept her eyes narrowed at the Primordial goddess.

"Um, yeah." He answered. "That was kind of the general idea. You know, find our way out of Tartarus before something decided to eat us."

Nyx turned back, a sly smile gracing her lips.

"You know Percy Jackson, I could be a valuable friend to you; make the journey to the doors far easier for you, if I wished it. Your chances of getting there without being confronted by my brother, Tartarus, are next to none. I could veil you in my darkness so that you could go unchallenged. You would be there within a day, free to return to the world and fulfill that destiny laid on your shoulders."

Percy felt uneasy. The way Nyx said it made it easy to assume her help would be anything but free.

"Uh, okay. I mean that would be great and all but you're making it sound like there are some kind conditions attached to your help."

Nyx slowly made her way back over to Percy, swaying her hips seductively as she walked. When she reached him, she slowly circled him, like a predator stalking around its wounded prey, waiting to go in for the kill.

"Of course there are conditions Perseus." She whispered huskily in his ear from where she stood behind him. "You are incredibly powerful. The most powerful demigod to walk the Earth, more powerful than that foolish son of Zeus, Heracles, ever dreamed to be."

Percy felt the uncontrollable urge to put some distance between him and the Goddess of Night. She was doing things to him that his teenage hormones couldn't ignore. But when he tried to move, he found he couldn't. He looked at his feet to see tendrils of darkness wrapped around them, holding him in place.

"Um, uh, thank you?" He replied, not really sure what else to say.

Nyx snickered quietly to herself as she stood in front of him. Her back was to Percy but she was very close him. She backed up a bit so her buttocks were lightly grazing his little Mjolnir.

"Whoa," Percy said in an alarmed tone. "Um, what exactly is going on?" He glanced at Reyna whose face was bright red. Her eyes were narrowed and she looked seconds from exploding.

Nyx kept her backside pressed against Percy as she turned her head, a mischievous smile on her face.

"What's wrong Perseus? Are you not enjoying yourself?" She said with a chuckle. "Because I think at least part of you is enjoying itself quite a bit at the moment." Her hand went to the front of his pants before Percy stumbled back, somehow free from the binds that previous held him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Listen, Lady Nyx, you're hot, believe me, you really are, but that's not happening. We just want to get the Hel out of Tartarus."

Nyx frowned and vanished only to reappear right in front of Percy again. She grabbed the back of his head before she forcefully pressed her lips to his. Percy's eyes widened but the goddess was unbelievably strong. She kept his head in place as she forced her tongue into his mouth.

As the goddess continued her forceful makeout of Percy, she was suddenly shoved from the side as an enraged demigoddess stood where the goddess had been.

Nyx turned around with a look of shock.

"He is not a piece of meat for you to toy with." Reyna growled looking downright furious.

"Well, well, well." Nyx laughed. "I see young Perseus already has an admirer. I don't see what the problem is, there looks to be plenty of him to go around."

Reyna's face turned bright red, "I don't share. He already belongs to me."

Nyx just laughed softly as her eyes flashed and Reyna was bound and gagged in shackles of darkness.

"While the whole possessive little girlfriend thing is adorable, you can't possibly hope to stop me child. I am a daughter of Chaos and you are nothing but an insect to me."

"Can I get a timeout here?" Percy said holding his hands up as he tried to comprehend what in the name of the gods was even going on. "What the Hel is this? Aren't you like married with lots of kids and a super powerful goddess who can have just about any immortal she wants?"

Nyx raised an eyebrow, "Yes that sounds about right."

"Then why the Hel do you want me? I'm just a demigod! Can't you just find a god to do whatever it is you want to do with them?"

Nyx waved her hand dismissively, "Of course I could. But what I want, is a demigod. I've never had a demigod child before and while I could just seduce a mortal, why would I do that if I could have the most powerful demigod to ever live? Our child would have a power to rival gods! Those little Olympians would tremble at their power, the child of Norse and Protogenoi blood!"

Percy's face started to lose color. This entire situation was crazy. This Primordial Goddess wanted him to knock her up? Who the Hel does that? While he had to admit, the goddess was unbelievably sexy, especially with her long legs and ample cleavage making his mind wander for a moment, he wasn't going to jump into the sack with some goddess trying to make a demigod. That just wasn't going to happen. Not to mention he now had a girlfriend and while she wasn't a goddess, she was quite sexy in her own badass, 'I'll kick your ass if you look at me wrong', kind of way. He wasn't going to throw that away for one night with a goddess.

"Um, what? You want me to have a kid with you? I'm sixteen, I don't want a kid!" He said before he noticed Reyna still bound, something that made him angry. "And I'm not currently available. So how about we skip the part where you help us and we'll just try to find our way out of Tartarus ourselves."

Nyx's eyes narrowed slightly, "I think you misunderstand me Perseus, I was not really asking. Now, if the girl is the problem, then that can easily be rectified."

The goddess raised her hand making Percy's eyes widen, "NO!"

Nyx glanced at the son of Thor, "Well then?

Percy could believe what was happening. He wasn't about to make a demigod but he also couldn't let Reyna get killed either. Pretty much his options were to let the goddess take him to bed, or do something so utterly stupid that it would undoubtedly get him killed. As he tried to think of a way out of this situation, his eyes landed on Reyna who looked panicked and furious at the same time.

"Just give me a minute. This is a lot to take in." He said finally.

Nyx rolled her eyes but didn't object.

Percy walked over to Reyna who eyed him nervously. He leaned up to her ear as his arms snaked around her back. Nyx rolled her eyes again when she saw him hugging the bound demigoddess.

When they broke apart, Reyna was looking horrified, something that made the goddess smile.

"So it seems you've decided to take the smarter option. I promise you won't regret it." She said eyeing Percy who a lecherous look in her eyes.

Percy took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He glanced around room, taking in the other immortals. They were mostly made of beautiful dark haired women, all slightly less attractive than their mother, but gorgeous nonetheless. He saw Akhlys standing off the side, her worn down face etched into a look amusement.

Then he smiled at the goddess, "It looks like it, huh. But actually, I'm going to have to decline. It has nothing to do with you, trust me you're hot, if I was a god, I'd be all over that. But I'm not a god, just a lowly demigod who happens to already have a girlfriend; and to be honest, I'm not overly thrilled with the whole rape by goddess theme we've got going on. So I'm going to have to take this sweet ass somewhere else and you can find another demigod, maybe a son of Zeus or something to make your power child."

Nyx raised her hand towards Reyna as Percy clenched both his fists. His shield from Hemera appeared in his left before a glowing sword, the sword given to Reyna appeared in his right. Both weapons began to glow even brighter, bright enough to make Nyx stop and look at him confused before both weapons appeared to erupt, light exploding out of them, so bright that it overwhelmed the darkness in the room. The daughters of Nyx hissed while the goddess herself stumbled back shielding her eyes. The light became so intense, the immortals in the room vanished, teleporting out to escape the explosion of light. But even after they left, the light only grew brighter, so bright that Percy thought he was going to be blinded.

Then there was an explosion; a tidal wave of raw energy that consumed the room and everything in it. Both demigods thought it was the end but as that thought hit them, the light was suddenly gone.

So were they.

They opened their eyes to find themselves on the banks of a river. But it wasn't the Styx. This river seemed to pulse with an energy of pure sorrow and misery.

Percy looked down at his weapons in disbelief.

"Well, that was unexpected."

Soft laughter behind them made Percy spin around, expecting to find Nyx. Instead he nearly dropped the sword and shield in shock.

"Lady Hemera?"

The goddess smiled, "Were you expecting my mother?"

Percy wasn't even sure what to say, words escaped him. Reyna apparently did not have the same problem.

"You knew she was going to do that, didn't you?"

Hemera gave them a mischievous smile, "My mother has wanted to have a demigod for a while. Percy Jackson falling into Tartarus was too easy for her to not try to seduce him. She knows how powerful he is. A child between them would be a dangerous creation; the kind of thing my mother enjoys making."

Reyna looked at Percy. He wasn't sure if she was angry or happy but he decided not to ask.

"So how exactly did you get us out?" He asked looking back at the goddess.

Hemera gave him a warm smile, "Me? I didn't get you out. I simply gave you a way out. You are the one who helped you two escape. I had a feeling you would turn her down. You have a quality about you rarely seen in heroes, especially male ones."

Percy raised an eyebrow making Hemera roll her eyes.

"Loyalty Perseus. You are very loyal. I knew would rather fight an unwinnable battle than submit to my mother's wishes."

Percy just shook his head, "And what if I had given in?"

Hemera shrugged, "I suppose you'd be a father sometime soon. You also would never have lived to meet your child. In the end, my mother would have killed you both. She cares not for the lives of mortals and once you had served your purpose, she would have eliminated you before you could complicate things."

"Won't she be after us then?" Reyna asked.

Hemera smirked a bit, "She will but she won't find you. She may be more powerful than me but I will shield you from her eyes. It is the final aide I can give you two. The rest of the journey is up to you. More challenges await."

With that last ominous warning, the goddess glowed as the two demigods shielded their eyes before she vanished from her spot.

Percy and Reyna both opened their eyes. Neither really knew what to say after everything that had happened in the last couple hours.

"So," Percy began a bit awkwardly. "Hemera is pretty cool."

Reyna stepped closer to him. He thought she was about to kiss him but instead her knee slammed into his groin, dropping him to the ground as he gasped for breath.

"What the Hel was that for?"

Reyna shrugged, "For letting that goddess put her tongue in your mouth."

Percy looked up at her with disbelief but before he could speak, she grabbed his hand and pulled him up where she kissed him softly on the lips.

"And that was for saying no, even if it was stupid and suicidal."

Percy just shook his head, his hand still holding his groin.

"Gee, thank you. I feel the gratitude rolling off you in waves. What did you expect me to do, that goddess had my head in an iron tight grip."

Reyna just shrugged again, "I know but I didn't appreciate seeing you locking lips with her. Since I can't hurt her, you had to pay the price."

Percy rolled his eyes before he smiled a little mischievously, "Someone's a little possessive."

Her eyes flashed a bit and she glared at Percy.

"Damn right," she muttered under her breath but Percy heard anyway, deciding not to mention it.

-x-

The duo walked for hours. Occasionally a monster would try to attack them but nothing the two of them couldn't handle. As they walked, Percy kept glancing at the river beside him. The river seemed to whisper to him as he lumbered on.

There is no hope little demigod.

You will never escape this imprisonment.

Life is nothing but misery and death.

He shook his head; the voices were trying to drown his resolve in doubt. He knew what the river did and he was not about to let a bunch of bitter souls disrupt his resolve at escaping. But the more the river whispered to him, the more his resolve deteriorated. It was like a small angel perched on his shoulder, constantly telling him he would die, that he would get both him and Reyna killed. No matter how many times he shrugged it off, the voices returned, relentless in their tormenting whispers.

Reyna noticed the way Percy had gone silent. His expression would change erratically; sometimes depressed and hopeless before it would flash into one of anger followed shortly by determination only to slowly slip back into a look of utter hopelessness.

She grabbed his hand in an attempt to keep him focused on the task ahead of them but while it worked temporarily, it would slowly go limp before falling back to his side as his usually startling blue eyes with yellow sclera looked dull and lifeless.

A few minutes later and without warning, Percy dropped to his knees before his face fell into the shards of black glass that lined the banks of the river.

Reyna quickly picked his head up, relieved to find him uninjured thanks to his Curse of Achilles.

"Percy, what's wrong?"

"Just go. There is no hope, only pain and death." He said back in a faraway voice.

Reyna looked at him confused before she heard sound of faint whispering. Her eyes landed on the river where the sound of the voices only got louder. She dragged him to his feet before slapping him hard across the face.

"Snap out of it Percy. It's just the river; it's messing with your head."

If Percy heard her words, they had no effect as his legs wobbled a bit and Reyna struggled to hold him upright.

Reyna growled under her breath before shaking Percy violently.

"Damn it Percy! I need you. We're almost there. Come on, snap out of it."

Percy took a shaky breath, "I can't Reyna. This is Tartarus, Titans can barely escape, what hope do two demigods have?"

Reyna stared at him for minute before she wrenched hard on his arm, flipping him over her back where he landed roughly on the ground. She pinned him down with knee to the sternum before she grabbed his shirt and pulled his face closer to hers.

"You promised that you'd get us out of here. Now that we're this close, you do not get to give up. Now get up and start walking before I show you a true ass-kicking right here on the banks of this cursed river." She snapped at him. He opened his mouth to respond when she pressed her lips against his. She kissed him softly for a moment before she pulled back and looked right into his eyes. "I did not fall for a weak demigod. I fell for the strongest demigod I've ever met. You're better than this Percy. Now get up and start walking, you owe me a hell of a better date than a trip to Tartarus. Do you understand me?"

Percy stared back into her eyes as they slowly seem to come back into focus. He shook his head and nodded before pulling himself to his feet.

"I'm sorry," he said ashamed. "I can't believe I let that get to me."

Reyna shook her head, "Don't apologize, you literally carried me when we first got here. I don't think I can carry that big ass of yours so the least I can do is help you snap out of it."

Percy stared at her confused for a minute before his hands went to his backside.

"Hey, my ass isn't fat. It's nice and you should feel lucky to get the privilege of just looking at it, let alone carry it."

Reyna's eyes widened before a laugh escaped her lips, "I guess you are a true son of Venus after all. But it's nice to see you back to your usual smart ass self."

Percy smirked a bit, "See, nice and smart. My ass is simply marvelous. Now, shall we milady?"

Reyna rolled her eyes but a smile tugged at her lips as they started walking again, this time taking care to put a little more distance between themselves and the Kokytos. It seemed the Empousa had been right, ever since they left the Mansion of Night, it was like something was calling to them, similar to how Camp Jupiter calls to demigods, and the Doors of Death seemed to be drawing them in like moths of a light.

Soon the Kokytos veered off to the right making them pause. The pull did not follow the river. No, it was straight, a faint pulse that seemed to be tugging at their minds, slowly reeling them in. As they scanned the area ahead of them, they could see another river cutting across the plain.

Without uttering a word, they both took off at a hurried pace until they reached yet another river of the Underworld.

"The Acheron," Percy said eyeing the river warily.

"Can we cross it?" Reyna asked hopefully.

Percy continued looking at the river for a moment wondering if he could fly them across. He knelt down and picked up piece of glass from the banks of the river. He tossed it across but after only a few feet, the shard stopped, dropping abruptly into the river with a small splash.

"That would be a no." Percy said shaking his head.

Reyna looked confused, "They how in the name of Pluto are we supposed to cross it?"

Percy shook his head showing he wasn't sure. He searched his pockets for a moment but then stopped.

"You wouldn't happen to have a drachma on you, would you?"

Reyna rolled her eyes, "Yes, I always carry Greek currency on me when I know I'm dropping into Tartarus." She replied sarcastically.

Percy started searching his pockets again but he knew he didn't have any on him. His hands went to his back pocket before he froze. He slowly pulled out a gleaming bronze coin, looking at it in disbelief.

He quickly reached into Reyna's back pocket and pulled out a second identical coin before he smiled widely.

"Hemera is hands down my favorite goddess of all time."

Reyna was stunned until she remembered the goddess slipping something in her pocket before she teleported them away.

"What good will a couple old Greek coins do anyway?" She asked unsure how this made the situation any better.

Percy smiled, "To pay the ferryman of course."

Reyna still looked confused, "I thought he ferried people across the Styx?"

Percy rolled his eyes, "Books and stories don't always get things right. Charon ferries people across the Acheron, it's the principle river of the Underworld from which the Styx is started."

Reyna was about to ask where the ferryman was but before she could, Percy stepped closer to the river, tossing both Drachmas in it. Reyna was about to snap at him when an image shimmered a few times before solidifying into a hooded skeleton standing in front of a small wooden raft.

"Well, not a call I get very often," he mused in a monotonous voice. "Living demigods in Tartarus, what a rare sight indeed."

"We need passage across the river." Percy said confidently.

Charon tilted his head to the side slightly, "Are you sure? Beyond this river is the very heart of Tartarus; a place where you cannot hope to survive."

Percy remained steadfast, looking at the ferryman defiantly.

Chiron held open his hand, the two drachma's Percy had tossed in the river in it as he examined them for a second before tucking them into his pocket.

"Very well demigods, step aboard, this will be your final journey."

Percy glanced at Reyna who didn't look enthused by the words of Charon. He held out his hand for her. After staring at it for a second, she grasped it tightly and they stepped aboard the ferry to enter the final, and likely fatal, leg of their impossible journey.


	21. Time to Meet the Boss

Ch. 21

Last Chapter…

Charon held open his hand, the two drachma's Percy had tossed in the river in it as he examined them for a second before he tucked them in his pocket.

"Very well demigods, step aboard, this will be your final journey."

Percy glanced at Reyna who didn't look enthused by the words of Charon. He held out his hand for her. After staring at it for a second, she grasped it tightly and they stepped aboard the ferry to enter the final, and likely fatal, leg of their impossible journey.

Now...

Charon paddled silently across the river. Neither Reyna nor Percy spoke. They held each other's hands tightly knowing whatever came next was likely to be their most difficult challenge yet, one that had a good chance of claiming their lives.

As they approached the other side of the river, the raft crashed softly into the banks before the ferryman turned to them.

"Final chance; I'll raft you back to the other side, no charge."

Percy shook his head, "Thanks but this is where we have to go. It's the only way we're ever escaping this place."

Charon shook his skeletal head, "Very well, it's your funerals." He extended his hand towards Percy before flipping a coin that Percy caught on instinct. He looked down to find one of the drachmas Hemera had given then before looking at the god questioningly.

"Half-price for rides that lead to certain death; you'll need that for passage after your death."

Percy narrowed his eyes but didn't speak. Instead, he pulled Reyna by the hand as they stepped off the raft and into the very heart of Tartarus itself.

Charon and his raft shimmered a few times before blinking out of existence as they were once again truly alone. Ahead of them was a small field filled with fiery chasms and jagged rocks jutting out haphazardly in all directions. It looked like a minefield after the majority of the mines had gone off. At the end of the field was something that made both their stomachs drop; 100 feet of vertical cliff stood looking down at them menacingly, challenging them to even try and escape.

"We'll never make it up that." Reyna said, despair evident in her voice.

"No," Percy growled. "We're not staying here. I've had enough of this infernal place. We will make it past whatever is thrown in our way. Not after everything we've gone through; not after the things we've overcome. I can feel the doors, they are close. We just have to keep moving."

Reyna stared at him for a second, a reminder of one of the reasons she felt about him the way she did was evident in his words.

"Okay Percy, I'm with you. Let's do this."

Without another word, they took off into the field. The place was like a furnace. The fires seemed to burn even hotter in this part of the pit and soon they were both drenched in sweat. They weaved their way through the maze of the rocks and boulders, careful to watch where they stepped.

Percy slid between two boulders as he looked up and realized they were almost to the cliff face.

"PERCY!" Reyna screamed.

He jumped back between the two rocks where he saw Reyna on her back, pulling herself away from a small demonic looking creature that looked at her hungrily. Blood dripped from its mouth before Percyu glanced at Reyna and noticed the blood flowing from her leg.

He felt anger boil up inside him as lunged forward, Mjolnir appearing in his hand as he tried to squash the monster. The thing moved with remarkable speed as they hammer found nothing but empty ground. Percy spun around and slammed Mjolnir into a boulder, causing it to crack but the monster was too quick again, ducking to avoid his hammer.

He spun around, trying to find it when he felt something jump on his back.

"PERCY!" Reyna screamed as the demonic figure prepared to bite into his neck. On instinct, Percy spun around but the creature was strong and managed to hold on. It reared its head back before latching onto the son of Thor's throat.

The monster shrieked in pain when its teeth cracked against the invulnerable skin of the demigod. It fell off his back in shock before Percy pinned it down with a foot to the chest. The monster struggled frantically but Percy moved too quickly, his hands grabbing hold of its head before he snapped its neck in one fluid motion. In an instant, the monster went limp before dissolving into dust.

Percy looked back at Reyna who was still bleeding badly. He pulled on the sleeve of his shirt, ripping it off before ripping it into strips. He knelt down in front of her and propped her leg up on his knee as he got a look at her wound. He wiped away the blood with his hand, giving him a clear view of the puncture wounds left by the creature's teeth.

He began wrapping the wound in the strips of cloth. The blood seeped through but once he had them tied off tightly, he held his hand over her wound and closed his eyes, chanting something quietly under his breath. The blood seemed to slow significantly and Reyna looked at him in disbelief.

Percy smiled softly, "Can't have you bleeding out on me, can I?"

"How?"

Percy just winked at her, "I can't be giving away all my secrets. Do you think you can stand?"

Reyna nodded as Percy pulled her to her feet but the second she tried to put some weight on her injured leg she nearly fell to the ground before Percy caught her and held her upright.

"Well looks like you're just going to have to hold on. Get on my back; we need to hurry before we see any more of those little bastards that bit you."

Reyna looked away, slightly ashamed that Percy was going to have to carry her yet again but as she gingerly put some weight on her leg again, she knew she had no choice. She wasn't going to be able to walk and they did need to get moving.

Without a word, she slipped her arms around his neck as he slid his hands under her thighs, hoisting her up on his back. He took off, walking around two boulders they wouldn't have been able to fit through together. He skirted through rocks, around fiery chasms until he finally came to the precipice of their greatest challenge yet: one hundred feet of vertical rock with no apparent ledges to climb on and no other way to get around it other than straight up it.

Percy held out his hand and Mjolnir appeared before he held it above his head. But to his horror, he did not move an inch. The weapon felt heavy and it was clear that for whatever reason, flying up this cliff was not an option.

"Percy," Reyna whispered softly in his ear. "It's okay. You can't carry us both. You need to get out of here and stop Hel was destroying the world."

She could feel his body stiffen at her words. She felt his hand tighten its grip on her good thigh before he held out Mjolnir in front of him. He just stared at the godly weapon for moment before it began to glow, splitting in two and shrinking in size until he had two small weapons with a hammer head on one end and a sharp looking pick on the other.

He turned his head as far around as it could go and brought his lips to her ear.

"I would rather let the world be torn asunder than ever leave you in a place like this. If we're leaving Tartarus, we're doing it together. If we die trying, we're doing it together. Now hold on tightly, I'm going to need my hands free if you want us to survive this."

Percy's voice had been so deadly serious that any thought of trying to argue was pushed of Reyna's head as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist despite the pain it caused her injured leg.

Percy stepped up to the ledge and drove the pick into the wall. Much to his relief, it wasn't quite as hard as it looked. The weapon sunk in as he took a deep breath and slammed the other hammer into the wall a little farther up.

As he pulled himself up, he realized just how impossible this task was going to be. The weight of both his and Reyna's bodies were a lot of carry, especially with only his arms to hold them.

He forced those thoughts away and pulled out the first hammer, slipping his foot into the hole that it left there before he pushed himself up, driving the hammer into the wall as far up as he could reach.

He continued this for several agonizing minutes; using the two picks to pull them up the cliff face and using the holes left behind for his feet. His body was drenched in sweat and his arms burned furiously. He looked above them and saw a small ledge jutting out a few feet. It wasn't much but it was enough for them to sit down on. It took a few more exhausting minutes but he managed to get them both onto the ledge as he sat on his butt, finally able give his arms a rest. Reyna watched him closely, they were only about half way up the cliff and he was beyond his limits. His arms trembled involuntarily and continued no matter how much he tried to shake the feeling off. He had lines of sweat pouring down his face and what was left of his shirt was drenched.

She had to admit though, he still looked pretty good.

She felt the urge to roll her eyes at herself for that thought but she didn't. For a sixteen year old, his body was well muscled, his sleeveless arm showing her what she already knew. The goddess of the day hadn't exaggerated when she said he had the body of a young god; she hadn't met any male gods but when she pictured them in her head, she guessed the looked a lot like Percy.

"Let's go. We're almost there." Percy said shakily, breaking Reyna from her internal musings.

She wanted to argue, to tell him to rest longer but Percy just knelt on the ledge, waiting for her to climb aboard. She sighed and climbed on, Percy driving his pick into the rock above them as he labored on, this time much slower being careful not to lose his grip and drop them to certain death.

After another agonizing twenty minutes, the end was in sight. Only a few more feet and he would be able to reach the top. Reyna leaned down and whispered some encouraging words in his ear as Percy pulled himself and her up, abandoning his picks and grabbing the top of the ledge. He gave a strained grunt and he pulled them to the peak, flopping down on the rocks in pure exhaustion while Reyna just lay beside him, wiping some of the sweat from his face.

After a moment, Percy slowly opened his eyes again, "Well, that absolutely sucked."

Reyna just shook her head before she looked up, her jaw dropping when she saw a doorway up ahead.

"Percy!" She said excitedly. "We made it. The doors! They're right there."

He picked his head up and laid eyes on the Doors of Death at last.

"Awesome."

A chuckle escaped Reyna's lips before a booming laughing was heard over her voice, one that froze the two demigods instantly.

They both turned to the doors again where a tall man, at least six foot five, stood in a stylish black suit. That was where the normal ended. In place of a normal face was a swirling void and his voice sounded like it was being drawn back inward rather than outward. His skin was a purple color that was ripped with muscle; his fingers were tipped with razor shark talons. He stood looking down at the two demigods, there was no face to go by but his laughter showed his amusement.

"Such resilience to make it this far, something no demigod should ever be able to accomplish." The figure said with a hint of respect in his voice.

"You're Tartarus, aren't you?" Percy asked as he climbed back to his feet, looking at the being with fear.

"I am indeed, young Perseus Jackson. You didn't think you could escape my pit without going through me, did you?"

Percy's heart stopped. They were so close, so very close, and yet now it was over. They had no chance of getting past Tartarus. He could end their existence with little more than a thought.

"You aren't going to let us pass, are you?"

Tartarus let out another booming laugh, one that made their skin crawl, it sounded so dark and evil.

"That will be up to you two. No, I will not let you pass freely out of my pit but perhaps you can earn it, prove your worth and escape perdition."

Percy looked up warily, "And how would you do that, my lord?"

Percy guessed the god smiled. Sure, he didn't have a face but his mood could be deduced merely from his posture.

"You fight for it of course. Battle through the arena and prove yourself worthy and I will allow you to walk out the Doors of Death and back into the mortal world."

Percy stood up, slightly confused, "What arena?"

Tartarus snapped his fingers and the scene around them changed. Both Reyna and Percy stood in the middle of a vast arena; the seats were empty with the exception of a huge throne right in the middle of the stands. Tartarus sat at a height of at least forty feet looking down at them in way that made them nervous.

"So, uh," Percy said unsure of what to do. "We win and we have to make it all the way through Tartarus again?"

Tartarus banged a massive spear that appeared in his hand down at the foot of his throne. The arena was suddenly lined with monsters, all silent as they waited for the master of the pit to speak. He banged it again and across the arena, the Doors of Death appeared, looking like an actual elevator door which Percy decided not to question given his current situation.

"You haven't moved, you are exactly where you were two minutes ago. This is my sandbox and you see what I want. To earn your freedom, you will each face five opponents of my choosing. Survive the battles and emerge the champion and I will grant you your freedom."

Percy glanced at Reyna who still wasn't able to stand.

"But she's injured! She can't fight."

Tartarus shook his head, "Then she is not worthy to leave my domain. Not my problem, demigod."

Percy looked defiantly at the Protogenoi looking down on him.

"What if I fight for her? I will face both our opponents."

Tartarus was silent, seemingly deep in thought. Reyna looked at Percy, whispering at him to get his attention but he kept his eyes on Tartarus.

"You realize your chances of succeeding will be drastically reduced?" The Primordial asked.

"Percy, don't. I'll fight." Reyna hissed but he refused to even look in her direction.

"I will fight them all. If I win, may we both leave freely?"

Tartarus looked at Percy closely, almost like he was sizing him up before he stood up, "Very well Perseus Jackson; I believe this will provide even better entertainment than I had hoped. Survive the opponents and I shall grant both of you your freedom. You have five minutes to prepare for your first opponent and pray to any gods you wish."

Percy nodded and turned to Reyna, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her across to the other side of the arena where he found a bench that he set her down on.

"Percy, you can't do this." Reyna said pleadingly.

Percy just smiled, "I can and I am. Your leg his broken, you cannot fight. It's my job to have your back and that's exactly what I'm going to do. Now you just relax and watch me kick some monster ass so we can finally go back home."

He reached and took Reyna's hand in his own, sliding the ring off her finger and onto his own, it magically growing to fit his perfectly. He went to turn around when she grabbed his shirt, pulling him down to her where she pressed her lips to his, trying to convey how much what he was willing to do for her, really meant to her. When they broke apart, she pressed her forehead against his.

"Do not die out there."

Percy gave a soft chuckle, "Well that was the general plan but since you mention it, I'll be extra sure not to die, just for you Reyna."

Tartarus banged his massive spear again making Percy spin around.

"For the first round, you will fight both the opponents at once. This was going to be a warm-up but since you wish to fight for her, we shall get things moving." The Primordial God pointed to the other end of the arena as large set of doors appeared before they swung open and in walked two of the biggest Cyclopes he had ever seen, both draped in armor and sporting massive clubs.

"Well this is fucking awesome." Percy muttered sarcastically to himself. He thought no one heard but Tartarus let out another booming laugh.

"Well said young demigod. This shall be a show worthy of my audience."

Percy just nodded as the sword and shield appeared in his hand and he nodded that he was ready to begin.

Reyna watched him nervously. He was fighting two overly large monsters, by himself. All because she had to go and break her leg. She cursed herself for her weakness. She prayed silently to her mother, begging for her to do anything she could to help Percy in his battles. She doubted gods could hear prayers from all the way in Tartarus but she prayed nonetheless, desperate to help Percy in any way she could.

Percy bounded forward, charging straight at the Cyclopes who smiled at what they assumed would be an easy win and tasty treat.

As he reached the two grinning monsters, he tossed his shield into the face of the first, catching it in the nose before he jolted to the left, diving between the legs of the second. He rolled forward, on his feet without losing speed as he spun and slashed a deep gash in the monsters leg, dropping it to a knee.

Before he could attack again, he dove to the left to avoid being crushed by the club of the first monster who swung wildly, his nose bent painfully in the wrong direction. Percy grabbed up a handful of dirt as he scrambled to his feet and put some distance between him and the Cyclops.

"I will rip you to pieces, yummy demigod." It snarled stalking toward him.

Percy waited, allowing the monster to get closer before he flung the dirt in the Cyclop's face causing it to stagger back blinded. He saw the second Cyclops trying to get back to its feet despite the deep wound in its leg. He looked around until saw his shield lying a few feet away and made a mad scramble, picking it up mid-stride and threw it into the back of the leg of the blind monster, knocking its leg out from under it before he sprinted forward. Instead of attacking, he used the Cyclops as a springboard, jumping onto its back before leaping at the second who was finally upright.

The glowing sword from Hemera cut through its chest plate like a knife through butter, his weight dragging the blade down from its chest to its stomach and covering him with blood and entrails before the monster dissolved.

The minute his feet touched, Percy was smacked hard from behind and sent crashing hard to the ground. He rolled over to see the previously blinded Cyclops stalking toward him. He tried to throw another mess of dirt in its face but the monster turned its head before raising its club only to find Percy on his feet already. He sprinted between the monster's legs before made a hard left and darting around the simple minded monster as it spun around trying to catch him.

Percy kept this up for a moment before he sprinted away. The Cyclops made to follow but stumbled, dizzy from trying to keep his eyes on the fleet footed demigod. Percy didn't wait for it to recover, charging at the monster and zigzagging to keep it off balance before he drove his sword into its thigh, ripping the weapon free and quickly driving it into the back of its leg as it cried out in pain. The monster dropped to its knee only for a glowing sword to sprout from its midsection, Percy behind the monster as he wrenched the sword free and the monster dissolved into dust.

Percy turned to look at the Primordial God of the Abyss, dipping his head in a mock bow that made Reyna curse him for his stupidity.

Tartarus stood up before he began to clap his hands.

"Impressive Perseus Jackson, a good showing. It appears I have underestimated your skill. Taking that into account, I have decided to make some changes in my planned format."

Percy cursed himself for his momentary lapse in intelligence but waited to see what the god had in store for him now.

"Instead of facing eight more opponents, you will battle only four; four that will be more difficult, to account for your obvious skills in the art of battle. Defeat these four opponents and I will allow you and the girl to leave my domain."

Percy cursed silently before nodding his head to show he understood. Without a break, the doors across the arena opened and in walked a demonic looking creature Percy had never seen before. It was about six feet tall, with horns sticking out its temples and curving to point ahead of the creature. It was similar to the one that attacked Reyna but much bigger, ripped with muscle and holding a curved sword in its hand. It opened its mouth to reveal sharp fangs instead of teeth. It stopped about ten feet away from Percy and bowed to the Primordial god.

Tartarus sat back down in his throne and banged his spear twice.

Apparently this was the signal to begin as the creature charged towards Percy who was taken aback by the speed the creature moved with.

He backtracked, using both sword and shield to fend off the creature's attacks. He tried to get a feel for the monster's style but it didn't seem to have one, other than fast and relentless.

The creature kept pressing, knocking Percy's shield away leaving them sword on sword. This seemed to help Percy, allowing him to be quicker as he blocked each attack before ducking under at wild slash aimed at decapitating him.

A well placed kick to the demon's midsection allowed Percy to spring onto offense as he attacked in a flurry of strikes, all careful not to overextend and leave himself open to a counter attack. He jabbed at the creature's chest but his blade was met with a curved one as the two weapons were locked. Both Percy and the demon tried to overpower the other but they were at an impasse.

The creature hissed and barred its fangs only for Percy to slam his forehead into its open mouth, knocking out a few of the fangs in the process. Percy attacked quickly but the monster recovered and blocked before kicking his sword away in the process. It swung for Percy's throat but he ducked before spearing the creature to the ground. The demon's sword was knocked away at the two rolled around, struggling for control.

The demon ended up on top, slashing its clawed hand across his throat only to look confused when they didn't break its skin.

Percy used his knee to knock the monster forward as he slid out from under it. He dove at the creature, grabbing it in a headlock as it struggled wildly for freedom. Percy tightened his grip as the creature clawed at his arms. With a hard twist of his body, the monster's neck snapped and Percy dropped it the ground in a heap where it dissolved into dust.

He looked up, exhausted from his first two fights, at the Primordial God of the Abyss.

Tartarus banged his spear twice before he stood up.

"Nicely done, Perseus Jackson. Are you prepared for your next opponent?"

Percy struggled to catch his breath, "I'm guessing a break isn't an option?"

Tartarus laughed again, "You know what, I'm feeling generous Jackson, I will offer you one break, a five minute rest that you can take now or save for after your next victory, should you survive the next opponent."

Percy stood up straighter, his breath finally caught. "Let's get the next one started then, I've got no plans to die in this arena today."

Tartarus smashed his spear into the ground as a roar was heard outside the arena. The doors were thrown open and Percy paled at what he saw.

In the doorway stood the Chimera, its lion head roared as it stalked into the arena, its rattlesnake tail looming over it watching Percy closely.

Percy looked at Tartarus who, if he had a face, he guessed had a smug look on his face. The Protogenoi slammed his spear twice signaling the match to begin.

Percy kept his shield held in front of him. His sword spun slowly in his hand as he thought about how this monster had been killed before. As he remembered the tale, he realized it was not going to be in the least bit helpful. He did not have a lead ball and even if he did, he had no plans to get close enough to stuff the thing down the monster's throat like the hero Bellerphon had done riding atop Pegasus.

Thank you Greek Mythology for that utterly useless bit of information.

The monster stalked toward Percy, crouched down in a ready to pounce position as both lion's head and the rattlesnake backside watched him like a hawk, slithering from side to side in the air, almost daring him to make a move. He thought about pulling out Mjolnir but he was saving that, unwilling to reveal it yet and give up the element of surprise.

The monster suddenly stood and roared at him, unleashing a torrent of fire that he dove aside to avoid. For having the body of a goat, the monster moved with shocking speed as it charged towards Percy, spinning around as the rattlesnake snapped at him only to be met with a face full of shield courtesy of Percy's quick reflexes.

The snake recoiled and the monster's head replaced it as it lunged at Percy, snapping its jaws and barely missing latching on to his forearm. The son of Thor's sword came around but the Chimera jumped back in time to avoid the blade.

This is how it continued, the Chimera attacking and then retreating to avoid Percy's blade but neither landed a strike. The monster would unleash waves of fire but Percy still had amazing agility despite how weary he was. A few scorch marks on his clothes and armor were the only indication of the fiery assaults.

The Chimera seemed to be growing impatient, its attacks becoming more and more daring as it tried to end the fight in one fatal blow. It roared and unleashed a wave of fire that Percy dove away from but the monster was on him in an instant. The lion's head came down towards his throat when a shield smashed into it, sending the monster reeling. The snake head lunged at him but Percy was ready, ducking a bit before he severed the animal from the monster's body with a flick of his blade.

The Chimera roared in agony as it retreated, blood flowing from its severed appendage. Percy made to attack but was surprised at the speed in which the Chimera was recovered, a torrent of fire hitting him before he could even put up his shield.

The Norse demigod let out a blood curdling scream making Reyna gasp in horror.

When the fire was gone, Percy lay on the ground unmoving, smoke coming off his burned clothing as the Chimera stalked closer to claim its prize. When it opened its mouth to latch onto his neck, Percy sprang to his feet, jamming his shield right into the monster's wide open mouth and deep into its gullet.

The Chimera staggered back, choking on the shield as it thrashed around, desperately trying to open up its airways. Soon the monster became panicked, rolling around trying to breathe until its movements slowed, eventually coming to a stop before it dissolved where it lay, leaving Percy's shield covered in a pile of monster dust.

Percy staggered over and picked up his shield, "I think I'll take that break now." He said panting heavily.

Tartarus remained silent but it was easy to tell he wasn't pleased with the defeat of such a powerful monster.

Percy stumbled over to Reyna, taking a seat on the bench beside her as his sword and shield clattered to the ground in front of them.

"Percy," Reyna said softly.

He raised an eyebrow, too exhausted to form words.

She smiled at him, "You were amazing."

He managed a weak smirk, "Tell me something I don't know."

Reyna rolled her eyes and felt around in his pocket for moment until she found her prize. She took the two thirds of a bar of Norse food and stuffed half of it into Percy's mouth.

The feeling of water on his lips made him sigh in relief, slowing chewing on the morsel as he felt the dehydration leave him. Once he swallowed the food he looked up at Reyna with a smile, "Thanks, that tasted amazing."

Reyna just smiled and wiped away some of the charred pieces of clothing off him, while remaining close, trying to show him that she was with him, even if not out there in battle.

Far sooner than he would have like, the sound of a spear slamming into the ground brought Percy to his feet. He felt reenergized but his muscles still burned and his body ached from the battles and trek through Tartarus and up a cliff that seemed so long ago now.

He made his way back into the center of the arena when Tartarus stood up.

"An impressive showing so far, Perseus Jackson. Now will be your toughest challenge yet. It is clear you can destroy monsters but now is the time to prove your true worth."

Percy looked less than thrilled about his words before he looked toward the doors only for a figure to crash to the ground behind him. He turned and very much felt the urge to wet himself.

Standing at a height of about seven feet, stood a being that seemed to pulse with a familiar type of power. He was dressed in full battle armor, daggers sheathed across his chest in an X-formation. A mace was gripped tightly in his hand. His eyes were cold and unforgiving, just like the other Titans he had met had.

"Your next opponent," Tartarus spoke, a hint of satisfaction in his voice at Percy's expression, "Perses, Titan of Destruction and undefeated champion of the arena."

Percy stepped back a few feet, wondering exactly how he was going to be able to defeat a Titan.

Perses gave the demigod an amused smile, "So, this is the great Perseus Jackson, feared by the Goddess Hel and all monsters in the pit. I will take great pleasure in disproving your legendary status before I join my brethren as we take over the world again."

Percy felt his anger boil up inside him. For immortal beings, these Titans had to be the stupidest in creation.

"Oh really?" He asked back with surprising confidence. "So Hel is going to help you destroy the Olympians and then what? She leaves with a few thank you's for the help? Tell me you Titans aren't truly that blind? She will wait until the Olympians are destroyed and then she will turn on you, unleashing the worst monsters in creation. They will rip you to shreds; nine different worlds, all contributing creatures you have no idea how to fight! If you make it to the mortal world, do me one favor, kill Hel first chance you get. Kill her before she turns on you and destroys the very world you wish to rule."

Perses narrowed his eyes, his face turning red with anger as he glared at the demigod.

"No goddess who fears a mere child can challenge Titans! Be silent or I shall make sure your death is especially painful."

Percy just stayed silent. He wasn't looking to anger the Titan any more. His words weren't meant to anger but to open his eyes to the truth. It was clear Perses had no interest in listening to him and to be honest, he already had enough on his plate; exhaustion was taking its toll on him and now he, a demigod, was supposed to fight a Titan in combat to the death.

The banging of a spear sent the Titan into attack mode. He had a large mace in his hand that he tried to crush Percy with right off the bat.

Despite the weariness, Percy still had enough speed to keep himself distanced from the Titan as he jumped back, the massive mace smashing the ground where he had been standing. Percy knew he needed to be patient; one mistake could end up getting him killed. He had the Curse of Achilles but he wondered whether or not it could withstand the strength of a Titan.

The Titan Perses chased him around, his speed was quick but Percy had far more agility, able to avoid the attacks which only made the Titan angrier. The more he missed, the more the Titan's speed increased, becoming furious the demigod refused to stand and fight him in hand to hand combat.

As the Titan brought down his mace again, Percy lunged forward, finding his opening as his blade slid against the immortal's thigh, opening up a gash that leaked golden ichor.

Despite the small victory, things quickly turned bad. The Titan spun around, backhanding Percy as he tried to sprint away. The strike was powerful, more powerful than the club of the Cyclops as Percy was sent flying where he crashed head first into the wall of the arena.

His vision blurred a bit but he managed to climb to his feet, pushing himself off the wall as Perses stalked towards him. Percy tried to slip past him but the Titan was too quick, shoving him back against the arena wall before a powerful fist crashed into his chest, cracking the Drakon bone breast plate in half.

Percy couldn't breathe. The punch pushed every bit of oxygen out of his body. He slumped back against the arena wall only to have another fist driven into his jaw. Perses recoiled a bit, his hand in pain, but the strike was painful for both of them. Percy's vision blurred a bit but he managed to see the Titan's mace raised before he rolled forward, the weapon crashing into the arena wall as Percy stumbled forward once on his feet again only to fall to the ground, still disorientated from the Titan's fists.

Percy tried pulling himself up but a hard kick to the stomach sent him rolling a few feet along the arena floor.

"Pathetic." Perses muttered. "Perhaps I should kill your little girlfriend first so you can watch before I give you a matching fate." He said turning to where Reyna still sat on the bench to the side of the arena.

You will protect her son of Thor, just as you promised you would. A feminine voice seemed to whisper in his ear.

Then as if a second wind seemed to find him, he climbed to his feet, something Perses didn't seem to notice. He ran at the Titan as he stalked towards Reyna. Percy made to impale the Titan but Perses spun around at the last second and batted the blade away with his mace. Despite the failed attack, Percy's new found energy remained. He attacked again, this time more careful, with precisely aimed attacks Perses had trouble defending himself against. Percy had no idea where the energy came from but he had no plans to waste it as he pressed on. Perses backed up, struggling to defend himself from the onslaught of attacks Percy was unleashing. The demigod managed to feint an attack at his chest before driving his blade through the thigh of the Titan.

Perses bellowed in pain and stumbled back, the sword still in his leg as Percy lost his grip.

The Titan ripped the weapon from his leg and flung it behind him, a look of rage on his face.

"Now you die boy."

Mjolnir appeared in Percy's hand but the Titan did not seemed surprised. Percy hurled it at the immortal but Perses batted it aside with his mace, sending the weapon flying into the crowd where a few monsters exploded into dust when the weapon hit them.

Perses charged again, bringing his weapon down as Percy had to dive to the side to avoid being crushed. Before he could recover, a large foot pinned him to the ground as Perses stood over him, his mace raised to finish Percy off.

Percy held out his hand desperately. Just as the Titan began to bring down his weapon, Mjolnir flew back into Percy's grasp where he smashed it into the Titan's calf, sending him crashing to the ground. Percy rolled over and onto his knees and threw the hammer at Perses as he tried to climb back to his feet. Mjolnir caught the Titan in the chest and sent him flying a few feet back.

Percy dragged himself to his feet, Mjolnir back in his hand as he felt his energy rise a bit wielding it. He looked up to find the Titan already back on his feet, a Mjolnir sized dent in his chest plate.

Before Percy could react, Perses slammed his mace into the ground, the entire arena shaking from the power he unleashed.

Percy stumbled and fell to the ground. Perses didn't hesitate, his movements just a blur as he stood over the Norse demigod. As he brought down his mace, Percy swung Mjolnir, knocking the weapon out of the Titan's hand. He tried to attack again but Perses caught his arm with his left hand before his right slammed into Percy's forearm with a sickening crunch. His skin was invulnerable but the snap of his bones was heard throughout the arena as Mjolnir fell from his grasp.

Perses grabbed Percy by the throat and lifted him clear off the ground, bringing him up so the two were face to face.

"Let's see if your little curse still works when you choke to death."

Perses squeezed his hand tightly around Percy's neck. He kicked wildly, kicking the Titan in the stomach and chest, anywhere he could but Perses' grip never faltered as Percy's struggling became more frantic. The lack of air was sending him into a panic. He held out his hand but the Titan used his free hand to bat Mjolnir away before it could reach him.

"This is your end, demigod."

Percy's vision began to darken and he felt himself losing consciousness. He slammed his foot into the Titan's stomach one last time but it had no effect. He realized this was it. He was going to die. Nothing was going to save him now. He had failed, failed to protect the world like he was supposed to; failed to get Reyna out of Tartarus, failed to keep her safe like he had promised.

His eyes looked over where he saw tears falling from Reyna's eyes, tears that simply didn't belong there. Not on Reyna. No, she was proud and strong warrior. She didn't cry, it wasn't who she was. It was one of the reason's he loved her. She had a difficult life but instead of letting it make her weaker, it only made her stronger. Now, she was stuck in Tartarus, with no hope of survival because he had failed.

Something about seeing her cry sent a shock, a small jolt of electricity coursing through his body as his darkened vision suddenly cleared again. He slammed his fist into the inside of the Titan's elbow, causing his grip to falter momentarily, and giving him all he needed.

Percy's leg went to the Titan's chest plate, the dent giving him the foothold he needed to push himself up as his legs wrapped around the Titan's arm. He used his momentum and the Titan's shock to roll forward, flipping the Titan over and onto his back as Percy held his arm in an arm bar. He wrenched hard until he heard the snap of his bones before he grabbed one of the daggers sheathed at Perses' chest and drove it into his throat. He continued stabbing, again and again as ichor flew wildly, covering both Titan and demigod in the blood of immortals. Perses' body went limp but Percy just kept stabbing, only stopping when the Titan's body started to dissolve into golden dust.

Percy's arm fell to his side, the dagger falling from his grasp as he lost the energy to do anything. He was at his limit, too tired to fathom the fact that he had just beaten a Titan in one on one combat.

The arena was silent. No monster stirred. Tartarus just kept his swirling void like face looking in Percy's direction. After a moment, Percy lifted his head up, slowing climbing to his feet. He staggered a bit but looked up at the Protogenoi seated in the throne before him.

Tartarus just remained silent. Something that made Percy uneasy as he carefully walked over, picking up his sword and shield, and catching Mjolnir as it flew back to him. The weapons vanished before Percy dropped to his knees, keeping his head down as he waited for the Protogenoi to speak.

After what seemed like forever, Tartarus rose from his throne.

"A very well deserved victory, had I more time, I could make you into the champion of my arena. Are you ready for your final opponent Percy Jackson?"

Percy looked up, unsure how any opponent could be more powerful than a Titan when Tartarus suddenly vanished, reappearing in a more mortal height fifteen feet away from Percy on the floor of the arena.

"You're kidding, right?"

Tartarus spun his spear in his hand, "You want passage out of my pit?"

Percy stood up, his anger overclouding his better judgment.

"How am I supposed to fight a Primordial? This isn't fair! I passed your stupid little tests and even defeated a Titan! We've earned our freedom! Let us leave!"

Tartarus slammed his spear into the around as it sent a shockwave through the arena and knocked Percy off his feet.

"You've earned nothing. You are in my world now boy, you want your freedom, then you must get past me." The immortal snarled back.

Percy pulled himself up, his anger at being toyed with by the Primordial taking over his mind. Without thinking, Mjolnir appeared in his hand. He stepped forward and slammed it in the ground, sending a similar shockwave through the arena. Tartarus stumbled a bit but didn't fall like Percy had.

The Protogenoi steadied himself before he flicked his wrist and Percy was sent flying.

"A good try little demigod but you cannot kill me! I am the pit itself. I am eternal. I own you now, flesh and spirit! You will never leave this place!"

Percy stood in his spot, Mjolnir clutched tightly in his hand as he resigned himself to his death fighting an unwinnable battle. He knew Reyna was behind him but escape was impossible, all that remained was how he died and he refused to die like a coward. He'd die a death worthy of an Asgardian; one that was worthy of a Roman Centurion; one that his father could be proud of.

Tartarus pointed his spear at Percy when the doors to the arena exploded, debris flew everywhere and when the dust cleared, Percy felt a pain in his heart at what he saw.

The Giant Damasen stood, a lance was gripped tightly in his hand and he was draped in armor made from Drakon bones and scales. He walked over to where Percy stood and then turned to his father.

"A Primordial fighting a demigod, how tough you've become father." The Gigante spat at his father.

"You dare stand against me? Have you not been a big enough disappointment in your worthless existence?" Tartarus growled back, his voice laced with hatred.

"You always wanted me to be more warlike, fighting for mother in her foolish war against the Olympians. Perhaps I will make you proud by destroying you!"

Tartarus took a step forward when a beam of energy descended beside Percy and Damasen making Percy shield his eyes. When the light faded, he opened his eyes and saw a sight that made him gasp.

Hemera stood at a height of twenty feet in full battle armor, a spear in her hand as she looked at Tartarus with disgust.

"Hello Uncle," she hissed. "I see you are still the coward you've always been, trying to show your strength fighting a demigod who has proven himself far braver than you could ever hope to be."

"Hemera," Tartarus growled but remained where he stood, only growing himself to a larger height, one to match Hemera and Damasen. "You would challenge me, one of your own kind, just to protect these little mortal brats?"

Hemera narrowed her eyes, "I will stand for Perseus Jackson. He has earned that much. You want a more worthy opponent? Then your son and I shall give it to you."

Before Tartarus could respond, Damasen charged at his father, lance against spear as they went back and forth.

Hemera turned to Percy, "Go! Get to the doors. We will keep him occupied until you can escape."

Percy shook his head, "I can't just leave you, what if….

Hemera slammed her twenty five foot spear next to Percy almost knocking him off his feet, "Go Perseus! I am the Day, he can only destroy my mortal form, I cannot be killed! I will protect Damasen. We will hold Tartarus until you are out but you must hurry!"

Before Percy could respond, Hemera spun around, unleashing a blast of energy from her spear that knocked Tartarus back after he had disarmed his son.

Percy sprinted over to Reyna who was at a loss for words. He snatched her up, throwing her over his shoulder as he made a mad dash for the elevator doors still at the side of the arena. He came to a skidding halt as a blast of energy hit the ground in front of him, almost incinerating him and Reyna. He looked at the battle to see Tartarus looking at them with his spear raised until Damasen smashed his lance into the back of his father's head, sending him stumbling forward.

Percy charged towards the elevator doors which opened as they approached. Just as he was about to enter, he heard Reyna scream. Without thinking, he threw her into the elevator and turned just in time to be blasted back into the doors by another of Tartarus' attacks.

Hemera jumped between the doors and Tartarus as they went spear on spear, their movements were just flashes of dark and light blurs.

Reyna climbed up to her knees and punched the button to close the doors. The final thing she saw as the doors closed was Hemera sweeping the Primordial God of the Abyss' legs out from under him before she put a hand on Damasen, who was trying to climb back to his feet before they both vanished in a blinding light. Tartarus vanished right after, undoubtedly in pursuit of his two attackers.

Reyna felt the elevator rocket upwards as she fell back onto her butt, landing beside Percy whose body was smoking and unmoving.

She tried to get some kind of response from him but Percy did nothing. She couldn't even tell if he was breathing. Before she could think any more about it, the elevator doors opened as they were both flung outwards, landing in some kind of cave, who knows where. Reyna looked at her unconscious boyfriend and realized he still remained unmoving. She felt her eyes well up with tears and he put a finger to his neck to check for a pulse.


	22. Meeting Mom

Ch. 22

Thud

Thud

Thud

Percy tried to drown the noise out of his mind. He had never been so tired in his short yet stressful life. His body begged him for rest, to sleep for just another day… or two.

Thud

Thud

Thud

His hands went to his ears, desperate for silence so he could rest. His only thoughts were focused on sleep, he needed it, it felt like it had been days.

Thud

Thud

He jolted up, a furious expression on his face. He looked around for whoever or whatever was making that insufferable ruckus and depriving him of his much needed rest.

Then his face went slack. He looked around and became utterly confused as to where he even was. Slowly his mind seemed to come into focus, remembering the final moments in Tartarus. He looked around for Reyna frantically before stopping when he noticed the beautiful woman seated in a throne.

His memory seemed to be poking him, trying to make him remember where he was. The room did look vaguely familiar but not somewhere he knew well. Then again, he wasn't surprised since this place looked like a palace and he hadn't exactly grown up on Olympus. This also wasn't Olympus. He had seen the throne room on Olympus and it was put to shame by the place he was in now.

The woman cleared her throat loudly, breaking Percy from his musings.

He looked at her confused, positive he had never met her before.

"No, I suspect you wouldn't recognize me Percy Jackson." She said in a cold tone.

Percy took another look at her. She had the most beautiful golden hair he had ever seen; startling green eyes, a lithe, athletic body covered in light armor. In her hand was a spear that she began to tap against the floor, a look of impatience evident on her face.

"Oh shit." Percy muttered as realization dawned on him.

The woman smirked a little at his look, "I see you finally figured it out."

Percy dropped to a knee, keeping his eyes on the floor, "My apologies Lady Sif."

She didn't say anything for a minute, taking a good look at the bastard son of her husband. Percy was sure he was about to get killed but the goddess broke him from those thoughts as she began to speak.

"Stand up, Percy Jackson. I am not here to harm you."

Percy slowly got to his feet, looking at the goddess nervously.

"I died, didn't I?" Percy said remembering the pain he felt when Tartarus blasted him.

Sif gave him a quizzical look, "And what? This is your Hel?"

Percy quickly realized that probably didn't sound right but his step-mother held up her hand to stop him from trying to explain better.

"To tell you the truth, you are dying. Invulnerability or not, the power of a Primordial is enough to kill any demigod."

His face lost all color, "Reyna, did she get out? Is she out of Tartarus?"

Sif gave me a small smile at his question, "Yes, she is free. Her leg is still broken but she is out of Tartarus and back in the mortal world."

Some of the blood returned to Percy's face, "Good, thank Odin. So what now, I mean I'm dying, but why am I in Asgard? I assume you must have brought me here and if you aren't going to kill me, I am confused of what service I can be to you milady."

Sif eyed Percy for a minute. She had watched this boy since she first found out about her husband's little affair with a mortal. She had originally wanted to kill him but now, after watching him his whole life, she had no intention of doing that. He was a warrior, one of the best she'd ever seen, and even if he was her husband's demigod bastard, she held a respect for him that outweighed the circumstances surrounding his birth.

"Relax Percy, I hold no ill-will towards you over your creation. You are simply the result of my husband's weakness, one that everyone is vulnerable to falling to." She said and Percy could swear he could see a look of guilt on her face. But as soon as it was there, it was gone.

"Um, thank you then." He replied back a little awkwardly.

Sif's expression turned serious.

"I am here to warn you Percy Jackson. You may have escaped Tartarus but your journey is still only beginning. While you may have saved your Roman camp, the Greeks were overrun despite the warning you gave them. They have all fled to New York City where they believe the Titan's will make their true assault. Right now Hel prepares an army to join the Titan forces. Now that she thinks you are dead, she believes nothing can stop her from starting the Ragnarök and destroying Midgard for all who inhabit it."

Percy's eyes widened, things were apparently not going well in the mortal world. He knew it was his responsibility to stop Hel but now that was impossible. He was dead. Was she just trying to mock him at his failure? He felt anger well up inside him at that thought.

"But what can I do? I can't even go back to Rome, they know everything I said to gain entry into the legion was a lie. Plus, I'm dying anyway!"

Sif narrowed her eyes, "I have watched you your entire life Percy Jackson. You are not going to let a minor detail like that stop you, are you?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Death is slightly more than a minor detail."

Sif glared at him. Something about her stare made him straighten up a little.

"I said dying, not dead. Whether you survive or not is up to you. Are you going to give up or are you going to fight? You are of Asgardian blood and you are expected to be better than all others. All other demigods would be killed by the power of a Primordial. But you are a Norse demigod, the last of your kind. You have the strength to survive but you must fight for it, you must have the will to survive and carry on fighting."

"I want to fight. Of course I want to live." He said back confidently.

Sif nodded, "Good. Never in my immortal life did I think I would care for the survival of a child of my husband and another woman but you are different. You are the only demigod my husband has ever had and I am willing to overlook your father's infidelity and judge you by who you are. Do not disappoint me Percy Jackson."

Percy's eye widened before he composed himself and bowed his head slightly to the goddess. "I will not disappoint you my lady, that is a promise."

Sif nodded, "Good then this is where we part for now Percy Jackson. If you survive this destiny then perhaps we shall meet again. Just remember you are not alone in this burden. You have earned allies and friends that are willing to help you bear some of it with you. You would be a fool to not accept their aide as without it, you shall surely fail to save what matters most to you in the end."

Percy was about to respond when the goddess held up a hand as his vision was filled with a blinding light. He felt like he was falling asleep again but the sound of faint voices slowly becoming louder made him strain to listen.

He felt someone sit down beside him put a hand gently to his forehead. He forced himself to open his eyes, his vision slowly adjusting to the light in the room.

"Well, I guess this must be Elysium."

The gentle hand suddenly pulled away before he felt the familiar sting of being slapped.

"Ouch."

"Idiot."

Percy opened his eyes again to find Reyna looking down on him. His lips soon shifted into a smile at seeing her safe but his expression then turned to one of confusion. Behind her all he could see was silver.

"Where are we?"

Reyna smiled, "We're in Greece. Apparently this is where the Doors of Death dumped us out."

"Then why is everything silver?"

A second person clearing their throat brought Percy's attention to the other side of the room.

"Zoë?"

Said huntress smiled, "It's about damn time Percy, we've been here for three days."

His eyes widened. He looked at Reyna confused but she nodded her head in confirmation.

"You've been asleep for three days. Well actually, we thought you were dead at first but Lady Diana spent hours working on your injuries. Lord Apollo came shortly after Diana passed out from exhaustion. Even with their healing powers, it was touch and go for a while." She explained, a pained expression on her face when she talked about him being dead.

"How did the hunters even find us?"

Reyna smiled, "That drachma that Charon gave back to you. We were in a cave. I managed to crawl out and find a stream with a small waterfall. I used that Iris-Messaging thing you did to contact Zoë. I decided Rome might not be the best option and Diana brought her hunters here immediately."

Percy turned to Zoë who nodded her head in confirmation.

"Zoë?" He said with a smile. "You're awesome."

The huntress just rolled her eyes, "I'm just repaying some of the debt I owe to you." She answered before she cracked a small smile, "And I had to see first-hand if you two truly escaped Tartarus. I heard you had some interesting encounters while you were down there."

He shook his head, "You mean Rapetopia. The only things in that hellhole are creatures that want to eat you or rape you."

A small laugh escaped Zoë's lips before she controlled herself, "You're a big boy, I'm sure you are fine."

He rolled his eyes but before he could respond, the tent flap opened and in walked Artemis, or Diana, Percy guessed by the stern expression and slightly different look the goddess currently had. She was older than she usually was, around eighteen or nineteen with slightly darker hair. He had to admit, she looked beautiful in her older form but he pushed those thoughts away as he was very much in favor of not having his boys chopped off.

Percy made to get off the bed to bow but the goddess held up her hand.

"Relax Perseus, there is no need. I see you have healed from your injuries. They were quite extensive, it's a miracle you woke up at all."

Percy nodded, "I believe you are the one to thank for that. Thank you for everything you've done to help, I would surely be dead otherwise."

The goddess gave him a stiff nod before her expression turned more serious.

"We have much to discuss Percy Jackson. Things have not gone well in the war since you fell into the pit."

Percy ran a hand through his hair, "I know. I was updated on the situation in my dreams."

Diana raised an eyebrow.

"Not an Olympian. My father's wife, Lady Sif, visited me and told me of the situation with the Greek demigods as well as Hel and her next move."

Diana seemed particularly interested in the mention of Hel. She nodded for him to go on.

Percy sighed, "She is readying her own army to join the Titans for their assault on New York, or the Empire State Building, to be specific."

Diana had a genuine look of fear on her face.

"Olympus will be overrun. The gods are readying themselves to battle the storm giant Typhon. Kronos has freed him from his restraints and he will march across the land until he reaches New York."

Percy shook his head, "Then we are truly screwed. The Greeks stand no chance of holding the city, not against two combined armies."

Diana was silent for a moment. Then she turned to Zoë and Reyna.

"I need a moment alone with Perseus, please excuse us."

The two girls looked confused but followed the goddess' request. Percy was a little confused why she wanted to talk to him alone but decided to let her speak first.

Diana waited for a minute before she finally broke the silence.

"I heard what happened at Camp Jupiter and how you were forced to reveal yourself to the other demigods."

Percy nodded, unsure why she was mentioning it.

"You must go back."

"Uh," Percy said confused. "Why would I do that? So I can be executed for entering the legion under false pretenses? Despite how slow I may seem at times, not even I am that stupid."

Diana shook her head, "I may have a way for you to return to camp without consequence."

Percy raised an eyebrow, waiting for the goddess to go on.

In response, a blinding light appeared beside the goddess. Percy covered his eyes and waited for it to fade before his face became confused. A breathtaking woman stood in beside the goddess of maidens. Unlike Diana, she looked about twenty four and looked every bit the title of goddess. Golden hair flowed down past her shoulders; her face was, for lack of a better word, perfect. Not a single flaw could be seen in her features. She was tall but not overly and her body was slim with curves in all the right places.

"Hello Percy Jackson." The woman said with a bit of an amused smile. "Or should I call you son?"

That was when it clicked in Percy's head. He wasn't sure if this was a good thing or bad thing. Venus may not take kindly to the fact he had lied about being one of her kids to gain entry into the legion.

"Lady Venus," he began a little nervously but when the goddess gave him a knee weakening smile, he relaxed.

"I am not angry with you Percy Jackson. When I found out about you lying about being one of my children at Camp Jupiter, I searched my children's memories to see what their impression of you was. If anything, I should thank you. You brought respect to my name and increased the respect my children got from their fellow Romans. I must ask you though, why did you choose me as your godly parent?"

Percy shrugged a little, "To be honest, I knew they weren't well respected. I thought respect was better earned than given because of parentage." He explained before he smirked a little. "Of course I had to account for these boyish good looks as well."

Venus laughed softly while Diana rolled her eyes.

"Stay on task Jackson." Diana warned wiping the smirk from his face. "My father is still unaware of your whereabouts. The only Olympians who know are myself, Apollo and Venus. Despite my father's ignorance, most of the other gods are well aware how important you are to our survival in this war. That is why Venus and I have discussed a plan to return you to the legion. But we will warn you, the task ahead of you is going to be nearly impossible."

Percy looked excited and confused at the same time. He nodded for her to continue explaining.

"We will wipe the memories of the entire legion for the end of the battle. In the place of those memories, we will replace them with similar memories where you fell into Tartarus without revealing your true identity." Diana continued before she exchanged a glance with Venus. Both goddesses had looks of uncertainty before Diana continued. "You need to convince the Romans to go to New York. You must join the Greeks in the defense of Olympus. Only you can stop Hel before she destroys Olympus. You said it was your destiny so if that is where she is going, then you must be there."

Percy, who was taking a sip of water which was at his bedside, began to choke, coughing violently for a moment before he could finally speak.

"You can't be serious? I am well aware of the history between Greeks and Roman demigods. I know what happened during the Civil War. Bringing the legion to New York will most likely leave Olympus completely defenseless. The Greeks will be massacred by the Romans' superior numbers. This is simply not possible."

"There may be a way but it is a little complicated." Venus said speaking up. Diana glanced at her and nodded her head in agreement. "Do you remember the girl who accompanied the hunters in their quest for Artemis? You met her on Mount Othrys, saved her life I believe."

Percy nodded but wasn't sure how this was relevant.

"She was a daughter of Zeus, Thalia, Thalia Grace." Venus said, putting emphasis on the word Grace.

Percy looked thoughtful before his eyes widened a bit. "You're not serious, she isn't…"

Diana nodded, "The full-blooded brother of your friend Jason? Yes, she is. Hera forced their mother to give Jason to her when he was a child. It was Hera's way of punishing their mother for having two affairs with Zeus, one in both aspects."

Percy's expression darkened, something both goddesses noticed.

"You have a chance to reunite them." Venus offered. "They can be the bridge between the two camps, a way to ensure peace is kept. Thalia is considered the leader of the Greeks and with you and Reyna backing him, none would dare question Jason. After the two of you survived Tartarus and saved the legion, it wouldn't be surprising if they wanted to make you consul of New Rome. Your word will not be doubted."

Percy smiled and shook his head, "I find that highly unlikely but regardless, I will surely be dead by the end of the battle in New York. Let's just worry about getting the Greeks and Romans to fight together. That will be a miracle enough if we manage to pull it off."

Both goddesses frowned but neither said anything before Percy stood up.

"So, how am I getting back to New Rome?"

Diana looked at Venus who nodded.

"I will accompany you and Reyna into camp. You will wait here for a few hours before I return for you. In the meantime, Apollo, Diana and I will alter the memories of the Romans. Rest up Percy Jackson, you have a very difficult task ahead of you."

The goddess began to glow as Percy closed his eyes before Venus teleported out of the tent.

Percy opened his eyes to find Diana still there.

"So, I'll just wait here then?" He asked.

"You can leave, my hunters will not bother you. They may bug you for information about your experience in Tartarus but other than that you should be fine."

Percy looked suspicious.

"Won't they be angry about a male being inside their camp?"

"Most times, you would be correct." Diana answered. "But they seem to like you. They know you saved Zoë's life twice and after hearing you turned down Nyx to stay faithful to your companion, I believe they hold a level of respect for you I've never seen towards another male."

Percy felt a little embarrassed everyone knew about his encounter with the very provocative Protogenoi but also a little relieved he wouldn't have a bunch of man haters giving him death glares for the next few hours.

Diana gave Percy a look as her body began to glow. He quickly averted his eyes as the goddess flashed out leaving him alone once again. He sighed as he thought about the impossible task before him as he stood up and walked out of the tent to find his girlfriend amongst the couple dozen man hating preteens most likely trying to persuade her to abandon Rome and join them on their eternities of being bachelorettes in service of a goddess who looked harmless until she cut your balls off for looking at her the wrong way.


	23. Home Sweet Home

Ch. 23

Last Chapter…

Percy looked suspicious.

"Won't they be angry about a male being inside their camp?"

"Most times, you would be correct." Diana answered. "But they seem to like you. They know you saved Zoë's life twice and after hearing you turned down Nyx to stay faithful to your companion, I believe they hold a level of respect for you I've never seen towards another male."

Percy felt a little embarrassed everyone knew about his encounter with the very provocative Protogenoi but also a little relieved he wouldn't have a bunch of man haters giving him death glares for the next few hours.

Diana gave Percy a look as her body began to glow. He quickly averted his eyes as the goddess flashed out leaving him alone once again. He sighed as he thought about the impossible task before him as he stood up and walked out of the tent to find his girlfriend amongst the couple dozen man hating preteens most likely trying to persuade her to abandon Rome and join them on their eternities of being bachelorettes in service of a goddess who looked harmless until she cut your balls off for looking at her the wrong way.

Now…

Percy was pleasantly surprised to find the goddess had been correct. Instead of hateful glares, the hunters looked at him with more surprise than anything else; maybe even a slight bit of awe at the fact he had managed to fight his way through Tartarus with an injured Reyna and even gain enough allies to secure their escape when they were confronted by the Primordial Tartarus himself.

He sat around the fire, grudgingly giving the hunters an in depth account of their exploits when someone cleared their throat behind him. He turned and found his 'mother' watching him with amusement.

"My lady," he said bowing his head to the goddess.

Venus bit back a smirk, "Now there is no need for that, son."

Percy cracked a small smile, "My apologies, mother."

Reyna made her way to Percy's side, bowing her head to the goddess as well. Venus looked between the two of them unable to keep the smile from her face.

"Ah, young love." She sighed. "It's such a beautiful thing. I wish I could take credit for this but sadly I was unaware of your little budding romance."

Reyna's face began to redden before Percy cleared his throat trying to break up the moment before it could get any more awkward.

"Shouldn't we be returning to New Rome?"

Venus rolled her eyes but nodded nonetheless. Percy and Reyna both waved their goodbyes to the hunters before the goddess grabbed their shoulders and vanished into a blinding light.

They opened their eyes when the feeling of being torn apart finally stopped. They found themselves at the entrance of Camp Jupiter, the guards on duty were staring at them with mouths agape.

Soon horns sounded and the gates opened as legionnaires crowded the entrance looking in awe at the two thought to be dead Centurions. Before they could make it far into camp, a familiar looking large wolf stepped in front of them, sniffing the air around them as if to find some kind of trickery.

"Impossible." Lupa growled in their minds. "No demigods could escape Tartarus."

Venus, who had appeared with a hood up walking behind the two demigods, stepped forward and dropped her hood as the demigods gasped at the sight of the Olympian Goddess.

"The rules for most demigods do not apply to my son or his companion." She said with a slight edge to her voice, glaring down at the minor goddess for the perceived insult.

Lupa's body began to glow until she stood in the form of a beautiful young woman in a silver outfit similar to that of the hunters.

"Lady Venus," Lupa said respectfully.

Before the wolf goddess could continue, Venus spoke again.

"My son has clawed his way out of Tartarus along with Reyna. They have overcome many hardships and do not need questioning. I know of their experiences and I will tell you of their journey as they have already done so to myself and the other gods." She said as she waved her hand and Percy and Reyna vanished, reappearing inside the Fifth Cohort barracks where a few members of Percy's cohort who had missed the commotion sat around, looks of depression and sadness of their faces.

"So, who pissed your Cheerios this morning guys?" Percy said trying not to laugh.

Every head in the room snapped up and looked at the duo in disbelief. No one seemed to be able to find their voices as they stared uncomprehendingly.

"Jack? Reyna?" A voice said in shock from behind them.

They both turned and found Jason staring at them with his mouth agape and a look of utter disbelief on his face.

Percy smiled at his friend, "What? You didn't honestly expect a little trip to Tartarus to hold us back, did you? It takes more than Hell to stop a Centurion from returning to his soldiers."

Jason's jaw seemed to somehow drop a little more but before he could speak, Percy stepped forward and pulled the son of Jupiter into a manly embrace.

"My gods you don't know how good it is to see you again." Percy said with genuine happiness.

Jason seemed to come out of his stupor and hugged his fellow Centurion back. When they broke apart, the son of Jupiter was still at a loss for words. His eyes went back and forth between Percy and Reyna before he just shook his head.

"This is unbelievable. I can't believe you two are alive. We already held funeral ceremonies in your honor as the saviors of Camp Jupiter."

Percy glanced at Reyna before he smiled at his friend, "Well thank you, the faith you guys had it us is really heartwarming."

"Dude, you two fell into Tartarus! How are you even alive?"

Percy glanced around, noticing all the other legionnaires listening to their conversation.

"My mother is outside right now, giving an account of our journey through Tartarus. I'd rather you just hear it from her or the other legionnaires as it's still too fresh to go over." Percy explained, his expression trying to convey his disinterest in retelling the tale.

The other members of the Fifth began filing out of the barracks, patting Percy on the back and welcoming him home as they rushed out to hear the story from the goddess. Jason made to follow when Percy grabbed his arm and held him back. Once everyone had cleared out, he looked at Percy confused.

"I didn't want to tell everyone the story. I'll tell you if we can find somewhere private to talk. We have a lot of discuss and some of it is going to be shocking."

Jason nodded and motioned for the duo to follow. They made their way out of the barracks and into the city of New Rome, moving quickly until they came to the section of the city with temples dedicated to the Roman gods.

Percy pointed to the temple for Venus as they made sure it was empty for shutting the doors and locking them behind them. Jason led the way in and stopped in front of the altar, his eyes going wide when he noticed Percy and Reyna holding hands. His eyes flashed with jealously before he pushed that feeling away. He had noticed the way the two acted around each other and knew it was likely inevitable. He wasn't about to make a fuss just because he had a thing for Reyna. Jack was one of his best friends and he was happy for him.

"So, uh, you two seem close." He said looking at their intertwined hands.

They young couple quickly broke apart as Percy looked at Jason apologetically.

"Yeah, um, it just kind of happened."

Reyna just nodded, but her face showed no remorse. It wasn't her fault if Jason had a thing for her. With or without Percy, she wasn't interested in Jason in that kind of way. They were friends and siblings in arms and that was it as far as she was concerned.

Jason looked at Percy for a moment and then at Reyna before he smiled, "Good. It was kind of obvious you two had a thing for each other but were too stubborn to admit it. Apparently a trip to Hell was all you needed to finally tell each other."

A little laugh escaped Percy's lips while Reyna shot a glare at both boys which did its job of shutting them both up rather quickly.

Jason looked at Percy, deciding a change in subject was in order before Reyna got angry.

"Well, let's hear it. How is the name of my father are you here right now?"

Percy nodded his head, a wry smile appearing on his face, "Well, let's get one thing clear right off the bat, neither your Dad nor the other gods of Olympus had a hand in helping us escape. Now you should take a seat because this is going to take a while."

Jason sat in one of the temple's pews as Percy recounted everything, beginning with their fall and ending with his confrontation with the Protogenoi of the Abyss and rescue by the Goddess of the Day and Tartarus' own son, Damasen. He was careful to leave out the parts about his use of powers from his father and instead made up different scenarios for their success, making sure to give Reyna plenty of credit for their successful escape of the pit.

When he finished, Jason's face was pale. He just stared at Percy until Reyna slapped him upside the head to bring him back to reality.

"Um," Jason asked awkwardly. "Nox wanted to have a demigod with you?"

Percy glared at his friend for bringing that up of all things making Jason hold up his hands in surrender.

"Sorry, I just wasn't expecting that. So you escaped and your mother found you and brought you back to camp?"

Percy nodded, "Pretty much. How long were we gone anyway?"

"About three weeks."

"What?!" Reyna and Percy yelled at the same time.

Jason looked surprised by their shock, "Yeah. Why, how long was it for you?"

"About a week, at most." Reyna answered looked stunned they were gone for so long.

The group fell into silence for a bit, Jason thinking about everything his friends went through while Percy was trying to figure out the best way to word his next few sentences.

After a few minutes, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Listen, Jason… We need to talk. It's pretty important but I need to keep your cool as this request comes from my mother and the other gods."

Jason looked confused by nodded his consent. Reyna looked at Percy confused. He gave her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry Reyna, I never got a chance to tell you."

She raised an eyebrow, her expression a bit miffed that she wasn't already informed of this.

"Jason," he started carefully. "What do you remember from your childhood?"

He looked at Percy strangely, "What? How is that important?"

"It is. You'll understand when I'm done."

Jason stared at his friend. His childhood wasn't something he liked to think about, let alone talk about. It was something he was guarded about and he was cautious who he talked about it with.

"Not much. I had a sister but she and my mother both died. I was brought to Lupa and pretty much raised here at Camp Jupiter."

Percy nodded and bit his lip anxiously. He wasn't really sure how to drop a bomb like this. Unsure of what else to do, he just blurted it out before he could overthink it.

"Your sister isn't dead. Actually, I've met her."

Jason stared at Percy for a minute, his mind trying to comprehend what Percy just told him. Then he moved faster than thought possible as he pulled Percy up by his shirt.

"That's not funny Jack. If you weren't one of my best friends, it would be my sword in my hand rather than your shirt."

Percy's hands slowly came up before they knocked Jason's away before he shoved him back into his seat.

"You're my friend Jason, I wouldn't joke about that. I didn't know she was your sister. But before I came to camp, I met Thalia." Percy said back looking at Jason seriously. He understood his actions but wasn't one to let himself get manhandled by anyone.

Jason looked up at Percy, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"But that's impossible; Juno said they died. She said she would watch over me since my family was gone."

Percy exchanged a look with Reyna who was also shocked at the news Percy was giving their fellow Centurion.

"That was a lie. Juno did this to punish your mother for having an affair with Jupiter twice." He explained with a hint of disgust in his voice as he thought about the Olympians and their ways, or some of them at least. He took a breath and looked at his friend more seriously. "Jason there's more. This is going to be a shock but I need you to listen until I finish."

He nodded, anxious to hear anything he could about his sole remaining blood relative.

"Before there was Rome, you know about Greece and how they worshipped basically the same gods as us, right?" Jason nodded wondering how this was relevant. "That's because they were the same gods. When the gods moved from Greece to Rome, they changed, some more than others. Now, in modern times, they have two aspects, one Greek and one Roman. Like your dad, he is both Jupiter and Zeus."

Jason's eyes widened but he still didn't know how this had anything to do with him and his sister.

"They jump around between their aspects even today, doing things in both aspects. Like the favorite thing of most gods." He explained waiting for Jason to catch on which he didn't. Percy sighed, "They have demigods in both aspects. We are the Roman demigods and across the country is another camp full of Greek demigods."

Jason gasped, "Greeks?" He asked, his voice full of distaste and trepidation.

Percy held up a hand before Jason could go on.

"Don't let grudges from generations past guide your thoughts of the Greeks. While they may be very different than us, they are still our siblings, even more so in your case."

Jason arched an eyebrow at his wording, "What?"

Percy leaned forward, looking directly into Jason's eyes.

"Thalia is not a daughter of Jupiter, Jason. She is a daughter of Zeus and a Greek."

Jason's eyes went alarmingly wide, "What? That's impossible. No, she isn't! You're wrong! She's my sister, my full-blooded sister!"

"That is part of why you were separated, two siblings of different aspects of the same god is not something seen, well, ever."

Jason's expression turned furious, "So they separated us? This is crap! I want to see my sister!"

Percy looked at his friend sympathetically, "Like I said, Juno did it to punish your mother for having two affairs with your dad. I don't know the full story so I can only tell you the parts I do."

Jason went silent, his mind racing with thoughts of his sister, of his father and his bitch wife and all the suffering she had caused his family simply because her husband couldn't keep it in his pants.

"How do you know all this? Why are you just telling me now?"

Percy's expression turned anxious, "I was given a task by Ve… I mean my mom. It is the most difficult task I think I've ever been given and its success or failure will depend heavily on you and what you do from this point on."

Jason just stared, waiting for more explanation.

"We need to unite the Greeks and Romans."

Jason and Reyna's eyes both shot open at his words.

"P…" Reyna coughed a bit, "Jack, that's going to be impossible. An alliance between Greeks and Romans would never work."

"It has to. The Titan army plans to attack New York City, where the gods are. They are making their move on Olympus. The Greeks were ambushed and their camp destroyed at the same time Camp Jupiter was attacked. The Greek demigods have fled to New York where they will make their stand against the Titans and their army."

Jason's face lost some color, "And Thalia, that's where she is?"

Percy nodded solemnly.

"Then I'm on board. I need to find my sister again."

Percy nodded but his expression was still anxious.

"We need more than the three of us. We need the entire legion to go to New York and reinforce the Greek army. They will be overrun when the battle begins; their numbers were devastated when their camp fell. If they fall then so will Olympus."

Jason and Reyna both exchanged worried looks. Convincing the Senate to send the legion to New York was going to be an impossible task.

"They don't have a choice," Percy said noticing their doubtful looks. "This is a command from the gods and cannot be ignored. We must get the legion to New before it is too late."

Jason just shook his head, "How will we keep the peace between Greeks and Romans? There is a longstanding hatred between Greece and Rome and it still lives on today."

Percy smiled a bit, "You and Thalia will be the bridges between both sides. I am told Thalia is the unquestioned leader amongst the Greeks and Reyna and I will back you in keeping the Romans under control. This is how my mother explained the plan; I just pray that it works."

Jason stood up, pacing quickly as he thought about everything he just learned. He wanted to leave camp right now, go and find his sister and forget about this whole stupid war. He deserved that after everything the gods had taken from him; his family, his childhood, his sister whom he barely got a chance to know. But the duty laid on his shoulders weighed heavily on his heart too. No matter what his heart wanted, he had a duty to help Percy and Reyna lead the Romans to New York assuming they somehow convinced the Senate to agree to this ridiculous plan to joining the two groups of demigods.

As he paced, he suddenly collided with what felt like a brick wall, knocking him back a bit. He looked up shocked to find Reyna standing in front of him with her arms crossed.

"Jason, pull it together. We're going to get you reunited with your sister but we need to figure out how to get approval from the Senate."

Jason nodded, rubbing his chest where he had run into Reyna. "Right… I know, it's just a lot to take in right now. And damn it Reyna, when did you get so solid?"

The daughter of Bellona smirked, "Better question was when did you get so soft, Grace?"

Percy cleared his throat, "So, uh, anyone got any ideas of how to explain this situation to the Senate?"

Line Break

The low humming of chatter amongst the Senators was the only thing Percy could hear as he waited in his seat beside Jason. To say he was a little anxious was a momentous understatement. He was about to stand up in front of over fifty Roman Senators and explain to them that Greek demigods were alive and in need of help all the way across the country; that they needed to forget about the hatred between the two groups and rush to their aide. He knew the task was impossible but he had a few tricks up his sleeve that would hopefully make the Romans more accepting of what he was about to ask of them.

Percy looked up where Cassie sat in the Praetor's chair. The other chair was empty, a reminder of David's death at the hands of Hel. Perhaps the first person Percy failed to save from Hel but unfortunately he was quite sure he wouldn't be the last.

Cassie rose from her Praetor's chair as the room fell silent, all eyes on her as the Senate waited to find out why the meeting had been called.

"Before I get to the reason why this meeting has been called so abruptly, I first want to welcome back Centurions Jack and Reyna who have done the impossible and managed to climb their way out of Tartarus with nothing more than courage, grit and the determination to get back to the legion and help lead us into whatever the Titan army throws at us!" Cassie announced, the volume of her words rising as she finished.

The Senators erupted into cheers for the duo as they both waited for it to die out, their minds more focused on what was going to come next. Once the applause died down, the all looked at Cassie waiting for the reason they were there.

"Yes, and this meeting has been called on the behest of those two heroes of New Rome." Cassie continued as she gestured for Reyna and Percy to come forward. The duo plus Jason all made the way to the front as the Senators watched them curiously.

Both Reyna and Jason turned to Percy expectantly. He glared at them for their lack of help before steeling his nerves and turning to the impatiently waiting Senators of New Rome.

"When Reyna and I escaped Tartarus through the Doors of Death, we were found by my mother Venus who gave us orders from the gods to give to the legion. I was given information that I struggled to cope with just as I am sure most of you will as well." He explained before pausing and preparing for an eruption of outbursts. "Across the country is another demigod camp, one that trains Greek demigods."

The effect was instantaneous as the Senators jumped out of their seats, all trying to have their voices heard. Cassie looked at Percy in disbelief. He just held up his hands unsure how else he could have dropped this bomb. Cassie tried to quiet the Senate down but her attempts were met with minimal success. After a minute, Percy felt his anger begin to grow. He closed his eyes before lightning stuck and thunder shook the building, the lights flickered and debris fell from the ceiling as the room fell into complete silence, many eyes looking nervously at the ceiling.

"You are angering the gods. They did not tell me this information so you could act like twelve years being told they couldn't have ice cream!" Percy bellowed. "They have work for us to do and it does not involve seeing which of us can yell the loudest."

"We must find these Greeks and destroy them!" Octavian yelled, jumping up from his seat in the front row and standing beside Percy. Before he could speak again, his face went pale as the tip of a blade pressed firmly against his slender throat.

"I believe Jack has the floor right now." Jason growled. "Sit down and shut up until he is finished."

Octavian managed to nod his head slightly before Jason lowered his blade and shoved Octavian back to his seat. The augur sent a murderous glare at the son of Jupiter but Jason merely rolled his eyes at the less than frightening legacy of Apollo.

"That is not what the gods are asking of us." Percy continued on ignoring Octavian's interruption. "The Greeks are not our enemies. That title belongs to the Titans. Right now, they prepare to attack the city of New York, the place where gods currently reside. They march on Olympus and only a small force of Greeks stands in their way."

Cassie stood up, "You can't expect us to abandon New Rome and march to the aide of these Greeks, right?"

"I ask nothing of you, I am merely a messenger of the gods right now. They ask us not to aid the Greeks but to protect Olympus. The gods battle a different enemy and the duty of protecting Olympus has fallen to demigods, both Greek and Roman. We must set aside out differences and do our duty."

Numerous shouts of protests were heard. Percy tried to speak over them but he was drowned out amongst the yelling. The yelling seemed to have a domino effect as more and more Senators began to shout their arguments, their words growing louder and angrier by the second. Soon the shouts turned to jeers and insults against Percy, Reyna and Jason; accusations of treason and working as enemies of Rome.

Things were quickly escalating out of control as the mob seemed ready to drive them out of the building for what Percy said.

But before the situation to escalate any further, a blinding light shot down from above and demigods scrambled to shield their eyes. Before they could even open them, they were silenced by a new furious voice.

"Silentium!" A male voice bellowed so loudly and angrily that it sent a shiver down the spines of every demigod in the room, Percy included.

All eyes turned to the front where they found not one angry god but two. Apollo and Venus stood, their eyes glowing with power as the Senators all scrambled to bow to the two divine beings.

Apollo turned to Percy who was standing behind the two immortals with Reyna and Jason and winked.

When he turned back to the nervous Senators, his expression morphed into one of barely restrained anger.

"Was Jupiter's bolt striking your Senate building not enough of a warning for you to listen to Jack's words? Has he ever done anything other than risk his life to protect all of you and this city? He was given an impossible task, one that we gods chose him for because he is the best of you, the bravest and the most loyal of all the legion and instead of listening, you call him a liar and traitor?"

"But my lord," one of the Lares said floating amongst the Senators in the second row. "How could we know he spoke the truth? He informs of the existence of Greeks and then asks us to go to their aid."

A blast of godly energy hit the floating spirit, obliterating any sign of the ghostly being as all eyes turned to the goddess glaring at the place the spirit had been.

"You know it is the truth because it was my son who said it. He saved all your lives and sacrificed himself only to do the impossible and return from the pit to continue to fight this war." Venus hissed, her eyes glowing with power.

Apollo forced himself not to laugh at the looks of fear on the faces of the Roman Senators.

"Let me clarify this for everyone here. The city of Olympus is going to be attacked. Right now we have almost no defense for the city. We have sent Jack to gather his people," Apollo said speaking slowly. "That would be you, to join your siblings in New York and protect Olympus. This is an order from Lord Jupiter himself. I would suspect there is not a lot of wisdom in defying his orders nor would there be for any of you to cause trouble between the Greeks and Romans; punishment will be swift and severe to any who try to disrupt peace between the two groups. Is that understood?"

The Senate was in a stunned silence but they quickly snapped out of it with Apollo glaring at them expectantly. A murmuring of 'yes my lords' was heard throughout the room.

Apollo nodded, "Good. Jack has instructions of how to get the legion to New York quickly. I urge you to make haste as the fate of Olympus is very much in your hands."

Apollo turned to Percy giving him the thumbs up before Venus flashed him a smile and planted a kiss on his cheek. Both immortals began to glow as the demigods averted their eyes before they both flashed out leaving a room full of stunned Senators and a slightly smug Percy Jackson.


	24. Romans in the Big Apple

Ch. 24

Last Chapter…

Apollo forced himself not to laugh at the looks of fear on the faces of the Roman Senators.

"Let me clarify this for everyone here. The city of Olympus is going to be attacked. Right now we have almost no defense for the city. We have sent Jack to gather his people," Apollo said speaking slowly. "That would be you, to join your siblings in New York and protect Olympus. This is an order from Lord Jupiter himself. I would suspect there is not a lot of wisdom in defying his orders nor would there be for any of you to cause trouble between the Greeks and Romans; punishment will be swift and severe to any who try to disrupt peace between the two groups. Is that understood?"

The Senate was in a stunned silence but they quickly snapped out of it with Apollo glaring at them expectantly. A murmuring of 'yes my lords' was heard throughout the room.

Apollo nodded, "Good. Jack has instructions of how to get the legion to New York quickly. I urge you to make haste as the fate of Olympus is very much in your hands."

Apollo turned to Percy giving him the thumbs up before Venus flashed him a smile and planted a kiss on his cheek. Both immortals began to glow as the demigods averted their eyes before they both flashed out leaving a room full of stunned Senators and a slightly smug Percy Jackson.

Now…

Percy shook his head, mentally laughing at the looks of fear of the faces of the Senate. The all stared at him, half expecting him to be furious and the other half expecting him to mock them.

He cleared his throat, "Yeah, uh, that was unexpected. I didn't know any of the gods would come here personally to assure you that I was speaking the truth. But now that they have, I hope everyone understands exactly what is at stake. If Olympus falls, control of the world will fall into the Titans' hands. Do you understand what that would mean? This camp, this wonderful place that I've grown to love and would lay down my life to protect without a second's hesitation would be burned to the ground. We barely managed to survive a fight against what was only half of their army. Imagine a force twice as big, if not larger. We won a hard fought battle, there is no denying that; we protected our home and our city but the Greeks were not as lucky as us; their camp was destroyed their numbers decimated. Yet now, even after losing so many, they are willing to risk everything to protect Olympus. Are you telling me the Twelfth Legion of the Roman Army isn't willing to fight when a bunch Greeks are?"

Percy looked around, catching the eyes of as many Senators and more specially the Centurions as he could. Once he was sure he had their undivided attention, he continued.

"Are you saying that we are unwilling to do our duty because of grudges that no one, save the Lares, were alive for? I know that I for one will be going to New York. I know Centurions Reyna and Jason are going to join me. What about the rest of you? Do you wait for Olympus to fall before you do something? Or do we show the Titans exactly how foolish it is to think the Romans wouldn't do their duty and meet them head on in New York? I say we take the war to them before they can even think of bringing their worthless monster army to our doorstep again! Who's with me?"

A number of the Centurions stood up, shouting their agreement to Percy's words. Soon, more and more of the Senators joined in until the room was abuzz with excitement.

Cassie stood up and raised her hands as the Senators slowly calmed down until the room was again silent.

She turned to Percy, "Well Jack, you have our answer. Now what do you need from us and how are we getting to New York?"

Percy smiled, his mind still a little stunned he'd managed to pull this much of the task off.

"Well, I need the legion ready to move in the morning. I need every able bodied soldier ready for battle at first light." He answered.

"Is that all?" Cassie asked.

"No, I need a clear sighted mortal as well and I'd recommend bringing as many flashlights as we can muster up."

Line Break

Percy walked alone through the streets of New Rome. Reyna and Jason had gone off to help their cohorts prepare to leave by morning but Percy needed a minute, a little time to finally think about everything he had gone through since coming to New Rome. His life had changed a lot more than he had anticipated when he arrived here. It was a strictly strategic move to come to Camp Jupiter but it didn't take long for that to change. He had friends here, a girlfriend and a place where he belonged. Well he knew he didn't really belong but he wished he did. He was proud to be a Norse and a son of Thor but it was also such an unbelievable burden. His entire childhood sacrificed to training and education, never even having a friend until he reached his early teens and even then, his first was Zoë and that wasn't exactly a normal friendship.

Now he was going to lead the people who took him in across the country and into a battle where they could easily be massacred. This could be the end of the Roman Legion and it was now on him; if they didn't win this battle, it would be his fault. He listened to these Olympian gods who he hardly knew and threw his friends, his family, into a situation that will almost certainly get most, if not all, of them killed.

Percy kicked a rock at his feet, sending it careening across the street and making a person walking the other direction have to jump to avoid being hit.

"Well hello to you too… dick."

Percy's eyes widened as he recognized the voice, "Reyna, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be helping the First Cohort get ready to leave?"

She casually shrugged her shoulders, "They're all big boys and girls, they don't me to hold their hands. Besides, you took off pretty quick, I was wondering where you ran off to."

Percy looked around, noticing they were alone, not another soul in sight.

"I needed time to think. Do you want to get out of here for a while?"

Reyna looked at him strangely, "Percy, we need to be ready to leave at first light. We don't really have time to leave camp."

Percy rolled his eyes and took a step closer, "How long have we known each other? A few months? When are you gonna get it, Reyna?"

"Get what?"

Percy stepped closer and wrapped his arm around her waist, "Most rules don't apply to me, they tend to get overruled my high level of awesomeness."

Before Reyna could get a word out, Mjolnir appeared in his hand as they shot into the sky so fast they wouldn't look like more than a blur to anyone looking at the sky.

Reyna kept her eyes closed and her arms wrapped tightly around him but her mind was racing with ideas of how to best punish him for doing this to her.

She wasn't sure how long they were in the air but the minute their feet touched down, she drove a knee straight into Percy's groin. He stumbled back making Reyna's eyes widen when she noticed where they were. Percy ran out of footing and fell… straight off the top of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Reyna yelled and scrambled to the edge in horror only jump back when she noticed Percy floating in the air about ten feet below, his hand on his crotch as he struggled to breathe.

After a minute, a burst of wind sent the son of Thor shooting upward until he landed in front of Reyna.

"Why does this curse not prevent that from hurting?"

Reyna let an amused smirk take over her expression, "Perhaps the goddess Styx knew you were a dumbass and took pity on me."

Percy gave her a mock offended look before taking a deep breath, "There, I think the second one finally dropped back down. Are you done with the improvised vasectomy attempts?"

Reyna tilted her head, "Perhaps, are you done doing stupid things?"

"Ha!" Percy laughed. "That will never happen. Why else would I have you around other than to provide such loving ways of letting me know when I'm being an idiot?"

Reyna raised an eyebrow, "That's why you keep me around?"

Percy put a finger to his chin and feigned deep thought until Reyna jabbed him in the ribs, immediately regretting it when she felt like she had jabbed a brick wall.

Percy smiled at her and shook his head, "Kidding. You're also really hot."

Reyna glared but gave up when she saw him smiling mischievously. She looked around remembering where they were as she glanced nervously over the edge.

"Do you think I would let anything happen to you up here? This is my father's domain and I promise I wouldn't let you get hurt when you're in it."

Reyna nodded slowly but she couldn't shake the nervousness at being so high up.

"Why are we up here anyway?"

Percy didn't answer right away. He looked out in the night sky before settling down with his feet hanging over the edge of the beam they were on.

"I would come here when I wanted to think, I mean since I've been at Camp Jupiter. Despite the cars and lights down below, it is surprisingly peaceful up here."

Reyna nervously took a seat beside him and made sure not to look over the edge.

"I can understand that."

Percy slowly reached over and pried her hand loose of the death grip it had on the edge. He pulled it onto his lap before he resumed his stargazing.

Reyna watched him curiously, she knew Percy well enough to know something was weighing heavily on him. She gently nudged him with her shoulder, "You okay?"

He nodded, not breaking his gaze from the stars. "Yeah, I'm just trying to soak in the moment. I don't think I'll ever get to have another one and I want to remember this."

Reyna frowned at his response. She knew the dangers of what lay ahead of them, none more so than Percy, but she was not ready to just let him go. He had changed her; changed her in a way she never thought she would but she couldn't deny she was happier since she had opened up to him. She had no plans to turn into one of those Venus kids Percy was pretending to be but she liked what she had with Percy. He was the perfect amount of seriousness and playfulness and she doubted she could ever find someone like him again.

"No it's not. We'll be able to come here after we defeat the Titans and that bitch Hel. You still owe me a better date than a trip through Tartarus."

Percy smiled a bit, "Listen to you, the mighty warrior Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano asking for a date as if she were a daughter of Venus."

Reyna's glare would have frozen just about anyone else in the legion. "Don't use my full name, I hate that." She hissed. "At least you can actually say it correctly but still, shut up."

Percy chuckled a little, "My bad."

She continued to glare at him, "What is the point?"

He looked at her questioningly, "The point of what?"

"Us. Making friends, joining the legion, this moment right now. If you're so convinced you'll die, why even waste your time?"

Percy stared at her, "Are you really asking me that? Reyna, never would a moment spent with you be a waste of time. And just so you know, I don't plan on dying; I just look at things realistically. I have to stop Hel no matter the cost, it is my duty as a child of Asgard. I don't have any intention of falling during this battle but if I do, then why would I not want to spend my last night of peace up here with the girl I'm crazy about? If this is to be my last night, this is how I want to spend it, right here, holding your hand as we look out over the city of San Francisco."

Reyna kept her eyes in her lap. That wasn't really the response she was expecting. It was actually the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her but it also made her uncomfortable; she had no idea how to respond to that.

She felt a hand gently touch her chin as he brought her eyes up to meet his.

He smiled, "Stop feeling awkward, you don't have to say anything to that. I just wanted you to know why I'm here right now."

Before she could respond, he gently pressed his lips to hers. After the initial surprise, she kissed him back, trying to convey the words she couldn't say herself.

When they broke apart, they both smiled.

"See, that was much better than anything you could have said." Percy whispered before he grabbed her hand again and resumed looking out into the night sky and the lights of the city.

Line Break

The trek through Labyrinth was anything but smooth. They were led by a pair of mortals from the city of New Rome who volunteered to lead the army through the narrow passageway. The Romans were more than a little taken aback when Percy led with to an entrance to the Labyrinth right on the outskirts of the Field of Mars.

Needless to say, mental notes were taken to guard that new entrance to camp the minute the legion returned from New York.

After a few hours of walking beside Jason, Percy caught Frank staring at him, looking like he wanted to talk but lacking the courage to actually do it.

Percy nudged Jason to let him know what he was doing before he slowed his pace, allowing himself to fall back. He grabbed Frank and forced him to slow down as well, letting them slip into the back and giving the rest of the legion a little head start but making sure they remained in view.

After a few minutes of silence, Percy decided it was best to get things rolling.

"You look like you've got something to say, well, get it out already Zhang."

Frank looked like deer caught in the headlights. He tried to speak but froze up realizing he had no idea where to even begin.

Percy bit back a laugh, "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were Octavian's brother with that silver tongue of yours."

Frank stared at his former best friend while Percy just deadpanned, waiting for see if Frank would recover. After a full minute, he decided Frank had suffered enough.

"Listen, I'm just going to be Frank with you," Percy said before he paused. Frank just stared at him confusedly.

"What?"

Percy sighed overdramatically, "Seriously? Come on, that was funny right?"

Frank stared for a minute before his eyes widened, "Really Percy?"

He shoved the son of Mars lightly and smiled, "I happen to find that joke very funny actually. But listen Frank, whatever happened on that quest is over. You were a dipshit and tried to kill me, and then you totally redeemed yourself by turning into a grizzly bear in the middle of battle and being a badass, so I'd say we're good. You cool with that?"

Frank's looked at him in shock, "Really?"

Percy nodded, "We're on our way to a battle that could easily be the death of both of us, I say it's time to forgive and forget. If I'm going to die in New York, I'd rather it be beside one of my best friends."

Frank looked like the weight of the world was suddenly lifted off his shoulders. He tried to say something but stuttered a bit making Percy laugh again and clap him on the back as they followed in the legion's wake.

"One condition though," Percy added to which nodded immediately. "You got to tell me how in the Hel you turned into a bear."

Frank's eyes widened before he nodded, "Okay, but you have to tell me about how you two survived Tartarus."

Percy smiled, "That sounds fair, I'll start. Did you know Tartarus isn't as nice as the brochure made it out to be? I mean seriously, with all the fires, toxic air and monsters and Primordial goddesses trying to rape me, I barely had to time to land Reyna as my girlfriend. But hey, I suppose you defeat a Titan in one on one combat, you're bound to impress a few ladies, right?"

Frank's jaw looked ready to come unhinged making Percy grin, "Too fast? Alright, I'll start from the beginning." He said throwing an arm around Frank's shoulders as he began to recount everything that happened in Tartarus.

-x-

After an in depth explanation about his and Reyna's journey through the pit, it would be an understatement to say Frank was shocked. Percy managed to snap him out of it and learned about Frank's family gift and his Greek ancestry. He'd never heard of children of Poseidon having the ability to turn into animals but he had to admit, it was pretty awesome.

After catching up with Frank for a few hours, a messenger came back to inform them that the guides thought they were reaching the entrance that would lead them to New York. Percy quickly made his way to the front where Reyna walked with Praetor Cassie, both looking to him to see how they should approach things.

He wasn't really sure what to expect when they were in New York so he just said that the legion needed to be restrained, following the orders of their Centurions to the letter.

As they approached the end of the tunnel, Percy could make out the feint delta symbol that glowed on the wall.

"I have no idea where we'll come out, but it should be somewhere in the city. We should find a place to regroup away from the mortals so we can send out scouts of evaluate the situation."

Cassie nodded her head in agreement as Percy placed his hand on the symbol which began to glow brighter until a rusty sounding doorway opened revealing what had to be some kind of a large basement.

Percy looked around before turning back to the doorway, "Well, looks like our lucky day. We ended up in some huge basement. We can regroup down here while a few scouts check out what's going on upstairs, perhaps the battle hasn't started yet."

Cassie nodded before relaying orders to the Centurions who led their cohorts inside. The basement was vast, easily fitting the two hundred or so Roman legionnaires. Once they had gotten everyone situated, Percy, Jason, Reyna and Frank volunteered to scope out the situation above. They found an elevator on the other side of the room, which when the doors opened, told them exactly where they were.

"The Park Plaza Hotel?" Frank asked.

Percy shrugged, "I suppose it'll work. The entrance had to be somewhere. Hopefully the mist hides our armor and weapons or we're going to look like dumbasses to the mortals."

The elevator dinged and all four demigods' eyes went wide. The lobby of the hotel was littered with unmoving bodies. Jason approached one to check for a pulse before his expression turned to one of confusion.

"I think they're just asleep."

"All of them?" Frank asked shocked as he checked on another but found them also sleeping peacefully.

"It's some kind of magic at work." Percy said thoughtfully. "I have a feeling we are not early for the party."

His three companions all looked concerned by this revelation as they made their way to the exit. When they stepped outside, they found more of the same; sleeping New York citizens laying just about everywhere. They all appeared to have passed out on the spot, not even having time to pull their vehicles over.

"This can't be a good sign. Do you think we're too late?" Jason asked looking around for some kind of life.

Percy shook his head, "No, the city would be in much rougher shape if the Titan's army had marched through." He said before he looked thoughtful. He raced over to a newsstand and began rummaging around making his companions look at him strangely before he turned around with a map in his hand. He opened it up, studying the layout of the city before he looked at Jason.

"You and Frank. You two head to the Brooklyn Bridge. Reyna and I will head for the Williamsburg Bridge. If the Greeks are here, they would most likely be guarding the entrances to Manhattan; it's the only way they can hope to hold off such a large force, even if it's only for a while. We'll see if we can find any sign of a demigod force and then meet back here to inform Cassie and the Centurions."

Jason nodded but then looked around confused, "Uh, Jack. I have no idea where the Brooklyn Bridge even is."

Percy ran back to the newsstand and returned with a pen. He quickly highlighted the route that would take them to their destination.

Jason nodded as he and Frank took off at a brisk pace, the map in their hands as they tried to navigate the complicated streets of New York City.

Percy turned to Reyna as he glanced at the map again before tucking it in his pocket. He looked around before a big smile appeared on his face. Before Reyna could even ask what he was grinning about, he walked across the street and pulled a mortal over to the sidewalk and out from his overturned bike. He picked the bike up and looked at Reyna expectantly.

She approached him with an apprehensive expression, "Uh, do you know how to drive that?"

Percy rolled his eyes, "It's two miles to the Williamsburg Bridge. It's either this or we fly, your choice."

Her eyes went wide before she scowled and made her way over to the bike, climbing on as Percy started it up.

"I knew you'd see things my way." He teased before chuckling, "Hold on tight. We're in a hurry.

Reyna wrapped her arms around him as he kicked the bike into gear only for it to stall in its spot.

Reyna began laughing mercilessly at his lame attempt to speed off.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive?"

Percy growled some kind of unintelligible response as he started the bike again, giving it plenty of gas at the back tire chirped and they took off down the street. Percy weaved his way through the immobilized vehicles and people in the streets.

Much to his own surprise, he managed to remember the route as he saw a sign for the turn for the Williamsburg Bridge. He banked a hand left and finally laid eyes on the bridge, which was in a state of utter chaos.

The demigods were being pushed back as they had backed up a ways, taking cover behind overturned cars and just about anything they could.

Percy stopped the bike at the start of the bridge.

"We have to help them."

Reyna didn't argue even though their orders had been to return as soon as they found signs of the Greeks.

"What can we do?"

Percy didn't answer. Instead he started the bike back up and took off to where the closest demigods were taking cover.

"Get off." He ordered. Reyna got off and looked confused before Percy took off again, pulling up closer to the front lines of the demigod resistance. He stopped and got of the bike before he pulled out a knife. The Greeks looked at him confused but had to focus on the monsters surging forward rather than this weird guy on his motorcycle. Percy put the bike in neutral before he revved the engine to its max. He wedge his knife into the handlebar accelerator before he stepped to the side, pulling in the clutch and kicking the bike into gear as it shot off ghost-rider style into the monster lines.

Monsters and enemy demigods were forced to dive out of the way. It may not have killed any of the enemy but it was more than the distraction he needed. Mjolnir appeared in his hand as Reyna caught up with him, her own gladius in hand. The duo stepped forward as the Greeks regrouped, pulling the injured back behind the line while the others followed the two strangers and they met the monsters charge head on.

Percy was the first to reach the enemy as an arrow thudded off his chest and the attacking demigod looked at him in shock.

Percy looked down at his chest and then back at the teen before he grinned evilly. The enemy demigod had no time to regret the move as Mjolnir slammed into his chest, crushing his sternum and multiple ribs as he fell to the ground, blood already leaking from his mouth from the many internal injuries he just received.

Percy ducked under the spear of another demigod knocking the legs out from under him before a quick kick the head knocked him unconscious.

Reyna followed Percy's lead as she met a demigod's sword with her own. Her movements were fast and flawless as she spun around, unsheathing a dagger at her waist and driving it into the enemy's ribcage. She pulled the weapon out and jammed it into the chest of another as he raised his blade to strike her down.

She saw Percy pushing his way farther into the enemy lines, past the demigods and into the monster ranks as clouds of gold dusts marked his path of death and destruction.

Before the Greeks could reach the battle, the bridge shook violently. The enemy army split apart, half backing up and the others forced towards the waiting Greeks. In the middle of the tremor, Perseus Jackson was on a knee, Mjolnir indented into the pavement of the bridge. He looked down the bridge and caught Reyna's eyes through the mix of monsters and demigods.

'Go.' He mouth to her as he raised the mighty hammer again.

Reyna's eyes widened but she could only watch as he brought down the godly weapon again. This time the bridge shook more violently. A crack spread across the bridge as pieces began breaking off and falling into the river below.

With one last grunt, Percy brought the weapon down a third time as the crack exploded apart, debris and dust flying everywhere as monsters and enemy demigod failed to get away in time before they were swallowed up by the growing gap in the bridge.

Reyna had no choice but to retreat with the Greeks as they scrambled to the end of the bridge. The bridge continued to crumble before finally stopping after the majority of it had fallen into the East River.

Reyna looked worried at the spot Percy had fallen into but was broken from those thoughts as a dozen gleaming bronze swords were leveled at her.

"Who are you?" A female holding a spear at her back hissed.

Reyna wasn't sure what to say.

Should she tell them about the Romans waiting inside the Park Plaza Hotel?

Before she had to think of a reasonable response, a new voice spoke, one that sent relief into her heart for more than just the weapons leaving her and being leveled at the speaker.

"Thalia Grace," a soaking wet Percy Jackson grinned. "I haven't seen you since Mount Othrys and the first thing you do is try to kill my girlfriend?"


	25. Reunited

Ch. 25

Last Chapter…

Reyna had no choice but to retreat with the Greeks as they scrambled to the end of the bridge. The bridge continued to crumble before finally stopping after the majority of it had fallen into the East River.

Reyna looked worried at the spot Percy had fallen into but was broken from those thoughts as a dozen gleaming bronze swords were leveled at her.

"Who are you?" A female holding a spear at her back hissed.

Reyna wasn't sure what to say.

Should she tell them about the Romans waiting inside the Park Plaza Hotel?

Before she had to think of a reasonable response, a new voice spoke, one that sent relief into her heart for more than just the weapons leaving her and being leveled at the speaker.

"Thalia Grace," a soaking wet Percy Jackson grinned. "I haven't seen you since Mount Othrys and the first thing you do is try to kill my girlfriend?"

Now…

Percy gazed down at the couple dozen swords or spears pointing menacingly at him from the ragged group of Greek demigods but his eyes were focused on only one of them. He stared into the electric blue eyes of the girl he had only met one other time and hoped that saving her life once would be enough to gain her trust.

Thalia's gaze was piercing as she looked at Percy. She hid her confusion as his words sunk in. After a moment though, they widened and she looked at him questioningly.

"Perseus?"

Percy's image shimmered for a second giving Thalia a look at the face she had met briefly a couple years earlier. Her eyes widened before the Greeks turned alarmed; they stepped closer, their weapons inching there way closer to his body.

"Stop! Stand down." Thalia said sternly without taking her eyes off him.

Her words clearly carried a lot of weight as the Greeks reluctantly stepped back and lowered their weapons while still keeping a watchful eye on this unknown demigod and his companion.

"Why are you here Percy?" She asked with a small bit of hopefulness in her eyes.

Percy gave her a small smile, "I'm here to help and I brought some friends. But we need to talk, in private."

Thalia slowly nodded, "Okay, we've set up in the Hilton Hotel. We can talk there." She said before looking at her fellow Greeks, "If you have the energy, go reinforce one of the other groups. Everyone is to gather back at the Hilton once the fighting ends for the night. Annabeth, I need you to come with me."

The demigods all murmured their agreement before the majority, those who weren't injured, took off to help their fellow campers while the injured and some of the Apollo campers helped get the wounded back to their camp. The fallen campers were gathered up and brought back as well for a proper burial when the war was over.

Thalia gestured for Percy to follow as she and a familiar looking grey-eyed blonde led them away from the destroyed bridge and into the city that will still littered with snoozing New Yorkers.

-x-

As they approached the five star hotel, Reyna put a hand on Percy's arm to garner his attention.

"What about Frank and Jason?"

"I would like to speak to Thalia first. It will be easier if I explain everything before we get to that."

Reyna nodded but looked unsure. She knew how important meeting Thalia was to Jason and if he found out they waited before bringing them together, he would be furious,

Percy noticed her expression, "Or, why don't you go grab them and lead them back here. I will talk with Thalia and then by the time you return, I should have explained what I need to."

Reyna was silent for a minute as she thought before she gave a stiff nod and veered away from Percy and the two Greeks, heading off in the direction of the Park Plaza Hotel to find the two fellow Romans.

"Where's she going?" The blonde asked. She looked at Percy with a calculating gaze as if she was trying to figure out the best way to take him out if the need arose.

"To gather a couple friends. We sent them to the Brooklyn Bridge in search of demigods. They should be waiting back at the rendezvous point by now though."

Her eyes widened a bit, "We have campers there, won't they try to help them fight?"

"No." Percy said bluntly. "We are under strict orders to survey but not interact."

Thalia raised an eyebrow, "I see you followed that order well. I assume you'll explain why you look like a different person than when we met, right?"

Percy nodded, "I promise to explain everything once we can speak in private. I have a lot to tell you but rest assured I'm only here to help."

The blonde continued looking at him suspiciously, "We were under orders to report any sighting of you to the gods after we last saw you on Mount Othrys. They claimed you were a dangerous enemy."

Percy let out a small chuckle, "I'm guessing that would be Zeus' order and not that of all the gods. I've been in contact with a few and they are the ones who sent me here in the first place. Zeus is just his usual paranoid self."

"That's my father." Thalia said with a glare.

Percy nodded, "Yeah and your Dad is a dick."

Thalia continued glaring for a moment before she cracked a small smirk, "Yeah, he kind of is at times, I'll give you that."

Percy smiled and then turned to the blonde, "So, you have a name or should I call you Blondie? I didn't catch it while you were yelling at me for saving Thalia's life."

The girl glared harshly at him, "You had just tried to kill someone who was a part of my family. I had every right to be angry."

Percy glared right back, "I'm deeply sorry, I guess the whole trying to kill Thalia thing threw me off. My fault, he seems like a swell guy."

The blonde pulled out a dagger and moved quickly, pressing against Percy's ribs as her face turned bright red with anger.

"He made a mistake! He could have been saved if we'd just had a chance to talk to him. But you ruined any chance of that with that stupid hammer of yours." She hissed, pressing the tip of the blade in the gap in his armor from his chest plate to his back.

"Go ahead and do it Blondie. If you're brave enough, go head and slide that dagger into my ribs. I promise that nothing you say will ever get me to apologize for attacking a cowardly traitor." Percy growled. Thalia was about to snap at them when she saw the dagger thrust forward only to glance off Percy's shirt and glide across his stomach harmlessly.

Percy moved too quickly for the girl to keep up as slipped a leg behind hers before shoving her. She stumbled back and was about to fall when Percy grabbed her shirt and yanked her towards him only for him to press his own dagger against her throat.

"I don't give two shits if that kid was a your twin brother or a complete stranger. He was an enemy to me. I'll leave mercy for my enemies up to the gods because I have none for them whether they be monster, immortal, demigod, or mortal. You ever try that again and you'll be my newest enemy."

The girl looked at him defiantly but fear could be seen in her cold grey eyes.

"Percy," Thalia warned. "Let her go. Annabeth, cool it. You're the wrong one here."

Percy held up the dagger as he spun it in his hand before sheathing it on his waist and stepping away from the girl.

"How did my dagger not hurt you?" Annabeth asked still looking at Percy angrily.

"When I was in Tartarus, I fell into the River Styx. Instead of dying, I came out invulnerable." He answered calmly.

Both girls gasped. Annabeth was the first to recover looking at him with disbelief, "What? You lie, no demigod can survive Tartarus."

Percy rolled his eyes, "We're here." He said pointing to the hotel across the street. "We need to talk Thalia. I have a lot to tell you before Reyna comes back with the other two. I'm not here to play twenty questions with Blondie. In case she's forgotten, we're in the middle of a war. A war you have no chance of surviving. I have a way to give you a chance but for it to work, we need to talk."

Annabeth looked ready to attack again when Thalia's electric blue eyes snapped in her direction.

"Stop it Annabeth. You can stop or you can wait for Percy and I to talk in private, your choice."

Annabeth looked a little betrayed at her best friend but when Thalia didn't back down, she grudgingly nodded.

Thalia led them up to the second floor and into a room where they could find some privacy. Once inside, she looked at Percy expectantly.

Percy nodded but was a little unsure of where to even start.

"There's no real way to ease into this so I'm just going to tell you how it is and deal with it from there. Let me explain without being interrupted." He warned looking at Annabeth knowing she would have endless questions.

The two girls nodded looking confused at his anxious expression.

"Basically, there is a second demigod camp across the country. That is where Roman demigods go. Yes, the gods have two aspects, Greek and Roman and they like to make demigods in both aspects. After Mount Othrys, I entered the Roman camp disguised as a Roman demigod. I've been there for a while now and we were attacked by the Titan Army at the same time as you were. We won but both Reyna and I fell into Tartarus which is a long story I'll be happy to tell you about if we survive the next few days. But after escaping Tartarus, Apollo and Artemis told me to convince the Romans to come to your aide here in New York. Over at the Park Plaza Hotel, I've got over two hundred well trained Roman demigods ready to join the fight as long as we can keep the peace between both groups." He finished his abbreviated story out of breath.

Both girls were wide-eyed. Percy quickly caught his breath as they two tried to comprehend what they were just told.

"Greeks and Romans are not a good mix." Annabeth finally said.

Percy nodded, "Yes but brothers and sisters are."

Both girls looked confused by this.

"Thalia, this is going to be a shock but your brother Jason, he's alive and one of the two demigods Reyna went to grab. He is a son of Jupiter while you were a daughter of Zeus. Hera took his away from your mother as punishment for having two affairs with your Dad. I only found out a few days ago."

Percy watched as tears began to well up in both of Thalia's eyes.

"How is this even possible? How could there be another demigod camp that we don't know about? How could my brother be alive all these years and I never knew?" Her voice was desperate as she finished.

"The gods keep the two groups veiled from each other. Whenever Greeks and Romans meet, chaos ensues. I believe their last encounter was well documented, the American Civil War."

Annabeth mind seemed to snap back to attention, "Mortal wars usually coincide with godly conflicts," she mused. "Why would you bring them here then? There will only be bloodshed."

Percy sighed, "What other option was there? Leave Olympus to be defended by fifty or so Greeks by themselves? The situation here was desperate so desperate actions had to be taken. You are not only fighting Titans but also a Norse goddess, Hel, is fighting with the Titans. She is incredibly powerful with countless legions of monsters at her disposal."

"Why would she help the Titans?" Annabeth asked still reeling from learning they had yet another foe to deal with.

"To betray them in the end of course. She is not here to take over the world, she wants to destroy it. She will wait until Olympus is destroyed before she turns on the foolish Titans." Percy explained as both girls looked shocked.

The room fell into silence as the two Greek girls wrapped their minds around the information Percy had given them. Annabeth's mind raced with different scenarios that could arise with Greeks and Romans trying to fight together. Thalia's mind on the other hand was focused on one thing and one thing alone, her baby brother who she hadn't since he was an actual baby. Not since that fateful day at the park when she had lost him all those years ago.

Before she could continue her thoughts of her coming reconciliation with Jason, she found Percy looking at her with an expression that showed both concern and seriousness.

"What is it?"

He sighed, "I need you to do something that you will never want to do."

Thalia waited for him to finish.

"I need you to lie to Jason for me. He doesn't know who I am really am. He's one of my best friends but he thinks my name is Jack and that I'm a son of Venus. If he or the other Romans found out I had been lying to them from the start, chaos would break out. They would try to kill me and the two people who know the truth."

Thalia face quickly morphed into one of disbelief, "You're asking me to lie to my brother the moment I am finally reunited with him? You want me to start off with a lie to cover your ass?"

Percy looked deadly serious, "Will it matter? If we don't all work together, what chance do any of us have of surviving this war? To be honest, I'm not asking you to do this. I'm telling you to." Thalia's face turned angry but Percy continued before she could object, "With Hel fighting with the Titans, she will send monsters you've never seen before, monsters you won't be able to kill. I know how to fight them but if you tell Jason the truth about me, I will be forced to flee. I am here risking my life to help protect the home of a bunch of gods who aren't my gods. I'm here to help you but if you can't do this one thing for me, I will not stay. The choice is yours Thalia, I suggest you decide quickly because Jason could be here any second."

Thalia glared hard at Percy but he held her gaze and waited for her to decide.

"Fine," she spat. "But the moment this ends, I'm telling my brother the truth, all of it."

Percy continued looking into her eyes, "Fair enough. I doubt that will be an issue. All I need you to do is not tell him anything about me. All he knows is that I met you on Othrys and that our knowledge of each other is limited." He said before looking at Annabeth. "Same goes for you. The decision is yours to make but don't decide just because you don't like me, think about it logically before you make a choice."

Before either girl could respond, a knock at the door literally froze Thalia. Percy stood up and walked to the door, checking the peephole before looking back at Thalia.

"Are you ready to meet your brother again?" He asked as the door opened revealing Reyna and a pudgy looking Asian boy.

"That kid is not my brother."

Frank's eyes widened before he was shoved aside as Jason appeared in the doorway. He and Thalia just stared at each other. No one in the room spoke, all trying to give them a minute to themselves.

"Jason?" Thalia asked but before she ran forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. Jason seemed to be stuck in a state of shock. He knew his sister, the one he hadn't seen in over a decade was right in front of him but his body couldn't seem to function. Slowly his arms went out her as well as he returned the hug. When she pulled back, Thalia wiped the tears from her face.

"So, a son of Jupiter, huh?"

Jason smiled, "Yeah, I guess so, daughter of Zeus."

Percy cleared his throat, "I hate to break this up but we need to get down to business. How are we going to handle the Greeks and Romans both fighting together?"

Jason looked less than pleased to be interrupted but knew Percy was right.

"You'll have to come to where the legion is camped out. Maybe just bring a group of your leaders to meet with ours and we can hash out a plan. Once we've done that, it can be relayed to your people and ours." Reyna said speaking up when no one else did.

Annabeth gave Thalia an unsure look, "Maybe it would be best if they brought their leaders here. The campers might get worried if we take off somewhere."

Thalia's look could have frozen a weaker demigod, "I think they will be just fine… Unless what you really mean to say is that my brother, the one whom I've just been reunited with after more than a decade, is setting us up for a trap?" She said in a tone that was laced with warning before she calmed down a bit. "But I know you wouldn't suggest something so stupid. You children of Athena are renowned for your wisdom."

Annabeth was at a loss for words. She was thinking about the situation logically but quickly realized how it must have sounded to Thalia.

"That's not what I mean at all. Whatever you think is good. Should I grab anyone else for the meeting?"

Thalia shook her head, "We're more than capable of handling some negotiations with our fellow demigods." She turned to Percy, "We're in. Let's talk to whoever we need to and figure this thing out."

-x-

Percy didn't lead the two Greeks to Cassie and whoever else was to meet with the Thalia and Annabeth. He left Jason the task knowing he would make sure it worked considering who the leader of the Greek demigods was.

Instead, he took the elevator to the top of the hotel. He walked to the edge to the roof where he could take a look at the city they were protecting. The Empire State Building sat a few blocks away, towering a bit higher than any of the other surrounding skyscrapers. He knew Olympus sat above it, resting hidden in the clouds over the usually bustling city of New York.

The home of the gods… Well, some gods. They weren't actually his gods but they did share the interest of keeping the world out of the Titan's hands and in turn out of Hel's. That was enough to bring him here, risking his life to lead an army of few against so many more. He looked out, realizing how strange the city seemed without its inhabitants.

Now the city was deathly silent. No sounds could be heard; no people, no vehicles, nothing but a silence that was anything but comforting.

"What are you doing?"

He turned to find Reyna standing in the doorway, looking at him with confusion and perhaps a bit a worry.

"Jason and the others can handle the diplomacy. If I have to listen to that know-it-all blonde for another minute then I'll kill myself before the war even starts."

Reyna rolled her eyes at his comment as she walked over to him at the edge. The mere thought of being this high up made her skin crawl but she steeled her nerves and stood beside him, looking out into the silent city at his side. She felt his hand grab hers. He didn't say anything, just kept his eyes focused on the New York skyline.

She wasn't sure how long they stood there silently. But when Percy did finally turn and look at her eyes, it was clear he had something important to tell her and it was most likely not going to be something she liked.


	26. So It Begins

Ch. 26

It took a few hours but Thalia and Jason managed to work with Cassie to put together a plan where the Romans and Greeks would divide up the entrances to Manhattan and keep the two groups separated for as long as possible. Things were tense in the initial encounter but after Thalia and Annabeth told them of the preliminary reports of the enemy army, all tension between Greeks and Romans was forgotten as they focused on the monumental task of defending Olympus with only a few hundred demigods with their combined numbers. Thalia mentioned possible reinforcements but it was clearly not help at the moment.

Scouts reported the enemy army to consist of mostly monsters with a couple hundred demigods who had betrayed their siblings and parents and taken up arms with the enemy. But it wasn't the kind of enemy they were tasked with defending Olympus from that worried the leaders of both the Greek and Roman forces. While it was disconcerting to be pitted against former friends and half-brothers and sisters, it was the number of the enemy forces that sent nervous shivers down the spines of any who knew what they were up against.

Their small forces of less than five hundred young demigods were up against a force more than ten times their size. It was decided to keep the number of the enemy confined to leadership amongst the Romans to avoid a dip in morale at the hopeless situation they seemed to be in.

The Romans were given the Manhattan, Brooklyn and 59th Street Bridges to protect while the Greeks would handle the smaller tunnels where they could funnel the enemy into narrow columns thus making their larger numbers useless. The Williamsburg Bridge no longer needed to be protected but Thalia told Cassie and the other Romans that the Greeks had blown it up to take that point of entry off the board.

Percy was grateful for that, trying to explain how he destroyed a bridge would have been a difficult thing even for a silver tongued son of Venus such as himself.

Percy stood beside Jason. In front of them was the Brooklyn Bridge. Cars littered both sides of the multi-lane passageway over the East River. The Romans had managed to pull out a good amount of the slumbering New Yorkers but were forced to leave some when the enemy appeared on the other end of the bridge.

The Fifth Cohort stood behind their two leaders in tight lines as they prepared themselves for whatever the enemy threw at them.

To their left, Percy looked over to see Reyna standing in front of her cohort. He was pleased to learn that the First and the Fifth were assigned to the same bridge. It was actually a slight against his cohort; pairing them up with the strongest in an effort of compensate for their less than stellar battle prowess but he was grateful nonetheless.

No one from the First seemed to have any issues fighting beside 'Jack' or Jason. Not after the battle at Camp Jupiter. Their skill in battle was talked about for days, though Percy was forced to miss out on that as he struggled his way through Tartarus with Reyna. But the attack on their camp seemed to have helped to dismiss some of the prejudices between the different cohorts. After they all suffered losses in the battle, their bond as a unit as a whole seemed have grown significantly.

Percy caught Reyna's eyes as they exchanged a meaningful glance. Her expression was stern but he could see the sadness in her eyes as well. He couldn't deny his own sadness either but tried not to show it. He had a duty to do and it had to put ahead of everything else; friendships, relationships and his own personal feelings. He was a child of Asgard, the son of the great thunder god Thor. Being one meant he had responsibilities that he could not ignore. It was his duty as an Asgardian to fulfill his destiny and his mothers had taught him from a young age the importance to taking care of his responsibilities, no matter how unfair or unjust they seemed.

He felt a soft elbow in his ribs as Jason nudged him. He looked up to see the enemy army advancing. They were a ways across the bridge but the front lines were visible even from this distance.

A battalion of demigods marched defiantly across the bridge. A murmur of disbelief was heard from behind the son of Thor as he narrowed his eyes at the approaching enemy. A golden flag emblazoned with a scythe could be seen being carried by one of the enemy demigods, a glaring declaration of their allegiance.

The low hum of uneasy chatter began to grow a little louder when Percy took a step forward and turned to face the demigods under his and Jason's command.

"Silence!" He yelled as the members of the Fifth as well as the soldiers of the First all fell silent, their eyes all landing on Percy.

"You are all soldiers of Rome. Members of the greatest military force this world has ever seen. You will not let this cheap ploy by those Titan scum stop even one of you. Those demigods marching across the bridge have one desire right now and that is to cut your throats the first chance they get. They have made their decisions of where their allegiance lies and it is not with their fellow demigod brethren. It is with the monster scum we're going to be scraping off our boots when this battle is over. We all must make choices in our lives and they have made theirs. Mercy for them is no longer yours to decide. That decision belongs to the gods or the souls on the judgment table in Lord Pluto's domain. The Titans think they can weaken our resolve by sending these traitors in their first wave. Let's show them exactly how foolish that decision was." Percy said in a loud and commanding tone.

Before the legionnaires could even let out a roar of approval, Percy snatched the bow and the arrow from Frank's hand as he turned toward the nearing demigod forces and notched the arrow taken from his friend. He was careful, searching the traitors until he found his target. He released the string with a loud twang of the bowstring as the arrow shot across the bridge, stopping the enemy demigods in their tracks. They all turned to towards the middle where the demigod holding the flag looked down at the arrow in his heart before he dropped to his knees, the flag falling from his grasp as they both hit the ground.

The demigods in the Titan's forces looked across the bridge, their expressions turning to ones of shock and soon after anger.

"In case you missed it, the Brooklyn Bridge belongs to Rome. You want to fly those cowardly colors here then you have to go through us first." Percy bellowed across the bridge.

The traitorous demigods let out a collective roar of outrage as they charged, all seeking vengeance for the perceived cheap shot to start the battle.

Percy tossed Frank his bow while the chubby cheeked demigod just looked at his friend in a bit of shock before he saw Percy draw his gladius, an action mimicked by the rest of the Fifth Cohort.

"Show them why it was the Romans revolutionized warfare."

"Hold!" Reyna yelled preventing anyone from charging to meet the enemy head on.

The demigod battalion closed in on the Romans who remained rooted to their spots.

Forty yards.

Thirty yards.

Twenty.

"Pilums!" Reyna screamed over the sounds of the charging enemy.

The front lines of both cohorts bristled as pilums appeared in the hands of every Roman on the front two lines. With the cohesiveness of a well-oiled army, the wall of razor sharp imperial gold pilums was launched across the bridge.

The traitorous demigods were cut down in waves, tripping over each other as the survivors tried to charge past their fallen comrades. That is when the Romans charged. Percy and Jason took the lead and the rest of the Fifth was right on their heels.

Percy reached the first enemy as the demigod jumped over the body of a fallen traitor. As his feet hit the ground, his face was smashed with the metal vambrace that covered Percy's right forearm. The demigod crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap as Percy turned his attention to his front just in time to sidestep a spear that he trapped between his arm and ribcage. He spun, wrenching the weapon from its wielder in the process before his gladius came around, sliding across the exposed stomach of the enemy as he tried to recover from being disarmed so easily.

Blood leaked from the gaping wound in the demigod's stomach but he hardly had the time to realize it as Percy surged past him, knocking the traitor off his feet with a hard shoulder as he went and sending him into the legs of another who was quickly met with a similar fate.

Within seconds the Brooklyn Bridge erupted into chaos.

The Romans main advantage was their discipline. Their charge was organized as they stayed in their lines… for the most part.

Like in the battle at Camp Jupiter, two Centurions seemed less than inclined to follow the strict military discipline usually employed by Roman forces.

Jason and Percy were again side by side a few feet ahead of their cohort as the duo took the brunt of the attack and allowed the cohort clean up anyone who managed to get past them.

Frank was on the front lines, his hands moving with a precision he could rarely duplicate outside of archery. His shots were precise as he focused on anyone who tried to flank his two Centurions. His shots were aimed at maiming as he couldn't bring himself to intentionally kill a person.

Neither Jason nor Percy seemed to have the same issue.

While they weren't going out of their way to kill the enemy, their focus remained on taking down as many of the charging demigods as possible, with no matter the means they used to do so.

Jason's skin sparked and his blade crackled with electricity as he raised it to meet an attack. He exchanged blows with the demigod, their swords meeting in between them as they both tried to kill each other. It felt strange for the son of Jupiter to be in a battle against another demigod that wasn't part of training or war games. But odd feelings aside, he knew his duty and 'Jack' had been right, it was either him or them. The enemy seemed to have no problem trying to kill him. He parried another strike, pushing the traitor's blade up before he drove his foot into his stomach. The demigod hunched instinctively as the wind was ripped from his body. He tried to recover and protect himself but it was too late. He felt the cold metal of Jason's golden blade touch his throat before it was slid across, cutting a wound so deep it nearly decapitated the traitor.

Reyna barked orders, keeping her soldiers in tight lines as the enemy demigods tried again and again to break through their lines only to be met with a wall of shields far too strong for them to overcome. The daughter of Bellona watched these enemies closely, noticing how much their fighting style differed from the disciplined attack of the Romans.

She assumed this was the Greek style of fighting.

She noticed flaws and advantages compared to the style of the Romans. For now though, it was ineffective against her cohort. The enemy was sloppy and refused to work together making their efforts to break through their lines futile. The bodies of the dead and injured accumulated in front of the Roman lines while Roman losses remained minimal.

As she looked on, she saw the end of the demigod lines which were followed by monsters of every shape and size.

Percy ducked under a spear. Before he could attack the wielder, he heard a familiar thud as he found an arrow through the demigod's throat. Percy glanced back at Frank who turned and fired an arrow into the chest of a traitor who tried to flank Jason. He had given up on maiming the moment he saw the first Roman fall. Now his shots were fueled by anger and outrage against these traitor scum.

Percy turned back to his front only to be met with a club to chest courtesy of a Cyclops as he charged past the demigods and towards the Fifth Cohort. The son of Thor was sent flying back where he crashed into his not so surprisingly soft friend Frank. The duo fell into the feet of the Fifth's front lines, knocking a number of them off their feet and giving the enemy the opening it needed to break through their lines.

Percy climbed to his feet and saw an assortment of enemy demigods and monsters crashing into the Fifth as they struggled to hold their ground.

Frank groaned a bit from underneath him as Percy realized why his landing had been surprisingly soft.

"Get up Frank. We're in trouble."

Frank shook his head, his brain still feeling jumbled from Percy crashing into him, and saw how right his friend was. Both monster and enemy demigod were already on them. He scrambled for his bow, finding it a few feet away. He turned, notching an arrow as he did and fired directly into the eye of a Cyclops as he raised its club to pummel the son of Mars.

The monster shrieked in agony. Blood squirted from his eyes as he swung his club wildly, smashing demigods from both sides of the fight as he did. Suddenly an imperial gold blade spurted from the monster's chest stopping his thrashing instantly. The monster crumbled to dust leaving Percy Jackson in its place.

Percy whirled around, catching a charging demigod in the mouth with a hard elbow and knocking him out cold with a few missing teeth.

Percy saw Jason fighting a few feet away from him by himself fending off attacks from all angles. Lightning struck a few feet away from Jason blasting a couple Hellhounds to Tartarus but they were replaced by more monsters as they began to overwhelm the son of Jupiter.

Percy felt a tug in his stomach as the sky darkened. The ring of his finger seemed to pulse a bit, Mjolnir seemingly pleading for freedom. He raised his hand to the sky as thunder cracked loudly overhead. A bolt of lightning that put Jason's previous to shame struck a few feet away from the him and obliterated a half-dozen monsters, leaving a pile of charred dust in their place.

Despite the temporary relief, Jason was forced to backtrack. The onslaught of attackers pushed him toward the side of the bridge where he struggled to hold his ground.

Percy pushed forward after seeing Jason in trouble. He ducked under the spear of a Dracaena and parried the sword of a demigod, kicking the traitor in the chest and into the feet out of the monster behind it.

He leapt ahead, over the tangled bodies of the demigod and monster, and collided with a demigod, knocking the traitor forward and straight into Jason's blade. Percy spun around and parried the strike of an attacking demigod, he and Jason were now back-to-back as they fended off attacks from both sides.

The lines of the First Cohort had broken as they now engaged in open warfare with the monsters and demigods from the Titan Army.

Reyna pulled her gladius out of the chest of a demigod, his expression one of disbelief before he fell to the ground as Reyna turned to find her next victim. She jumped aside to avoid being impaled by a spear, unsheathing a dagger that she jammed into the ribcage of her attacker. A swarm of demigods from the First surged past their Centurion as Reyna got a moment to catch her breath. Her eyes instinctively went to the other side of the bridge searching earnestly for Percy. She found him fighting beside Jason. She felt a small bit of relief but it was short-lived as she watched a pair of Laistrygonian Giants push their way past the other monsters and demigods until they were right in front of the two Centurions from the Fifth.

Jason jumped aside and grabbed the spear of the Dracaena who had tried to impale him, wrenching hard. The monster held on tightly but was unprepared for the son of Jupiter's strength as it was lurched forward, stumbling past Jason and to the side of the bridge where it felt a pair of hands give it a hard shove that sent it over the railing and tumbling into the East River below.

Jason had no time to enjoy his crafty way of disposing with the monster as his attention was immediately drawn to the two foreboding figures pushing their way past the other monsters and towards him and Percy.

Jason tried to call down lightning but found his body taxed and could muster little more than some thunder as he dove aside, one of the giant's clubs smashing into the pavement where he had been standing. He tried to climb back to his feet but had to roll away as the other giant tried flattening him into a pancake.

Jason looked up to find the first giant looming over him as he realized his luck had finally run out. He cursed himself for falling this early in the battle against the Titan Army. He doubted his efforts would even be worthy of Elysium; they were not up to par for a Centurion of the Twelfth Legion.

He watched the giant's club come down as time seemed to slow. Before he could react, 'Jack' stepped in front of him holding some kind of enormous hammer that he swung and connected with the Laistrygonian's club. To his utter shock, the monsters weapon shattered, fragments flying everywhere as the monster dropped to its knees, its eyes on its hands which were filled with splinters of his weapon.

As Jason turned back to 'Jack', he froze in confusion. He held only his gladius in hand, still standing in front of him. Before he could question the location of the giant hammer, he panicked as the second giant was already mid-swing.

The words barely left his mouth as he tried to warn his friend when the club slammed into 'Jack's' chest, catching him square and sending him flying back, crashing through the railing and off the side of the bridge and into the river below.

Jason's mind went numb.

'Jack' was the best warrior he'd ever seen in his life. He was the best in the legion, hands down, even if Jason was too stubborn to admit it.

But more importantly, 'Jack' was one of his best friends. The guy who passed on the chance to join the First Cohort and chose to go with Jason and help him lead the Fifth was gone.

His mind was suddenly flooded with countless emotions but the most prominent was anger and rage.

He jumped to his feet as the Laistrygonian who smashed 'Jack' was turning to give him the same treatment. As the monster's club came down, Jason lunged forward with uncanny speed, slipping inside the monster's guard and slashing with a ferocious downward arc. His golden blade met the giant's arm mid swing as cut clean through the appendage, sending it and the club flying past him.

The monster let loose an agonized cry of pain before he was silence as Jason drove his blade down to the hilt into the giant's chest. He ripped the weapon free with as the monster turned to dust.

Several bolts of lightning struck all around the son of Jupiter though he hardly noticed, his mind seeing only the color red. Monster and demigod alike backed away as Jason's body had a slight glow to it, an aura of blue while lightning danced across his eyes.

Most of the Fifth Cohort had watched 'Jack' save Jason and get himself killed in the process. The effect was instantaneous; the wall of shields that had been focused on not having their lines broken suddenly pushed back hard. The monsters and demigods were knocked back a few feet as the legionnaires seemed to forget about their lack of battlefield skills and surged forward as one. Their blades moved in synchronization, impaling any enemy close enough as they pushed forward, forcing the enemy back.

The Fifth continued to push forward, trying to get to their sole surviving Centurion who was now fighting alone, an island in a sea of monsters. Dust surrounded the area and sparks of electricity could be seen but the Fifth struggled to get closer.

Just as their momentum stopped, their lines parted and a Silverback Gorilla charged forward... Yes, a real seven foot Silverback barreled out of the Roman lines and into the mess of monsters and enemy demigods.

Something about watching Percy getting thrown off the bridge made Frank snap. His mind seemed to go into auto pilot. He really had no idea why he chose a gorilla but who was he to argue with his subconscious?

He rushed forward and had he not been in the form of a gorilla or seen his friend possibly just die, he would have laughed at the faces of the enemy. Even the monsters looked like they couldn't believe their eyes, joining the demigods in their dumbstruck gawking at the massive mammal. Despite the humor of their faces, Frank was anything but amused. He grabbed a stunned demigod and hurled him back into the enemy army. The force of the toss took out several monsters and demigods and sent their forces into chaos.

Frank stopped, leaning forward with his fists on the pavement before he let out a roar that would have made King Kong jealous.

The enemy army turned on their heels and retreated back, running past Jason and making a beeline for the other end of the bridge.

Seeing the other half of their army on the retreat, the rest of the Titan forces disengaged from their combat with the First and joined the others in their retreat.

As they watched the enemy retreat back to the other end of the Brooklyn Bridge, the legionnaires finally had a moment to catch their breaths. Medics immediately went to work on the wounded and everyone else tried to lend a hand where they could. The injured and fallen were brought to the end of the bridge where they could receive treatment or wait for the battle to be over and they could receive the proper burial rites.

Frank, still in his ape form, hurried over to the side of the bridge where Jason was already looking, scanning the river below for some kind of sign of their friend. Frank's body began to glow, his features shrinking until he was back in his normal chubby Asian form.

"He's dead."

Both Frank and Jason turned around to find Reyna with an unreadable expression on her face.

"He might be alive. He could have swam ashore and maybe he's just injured." Jason said hopefully but even he didn't believe his words. He saw how hard 'Jack' had been hit and the gap in the railing where his body went through told him his friend was dead.

"No he's dead. No one could have survived that." Reyna said in a cold tone. Both Frank and Jason looked at her nervously, unsure how she would react to Percy's death.

"I'm sorry Reyna…" Frank started before being cut off.

"It's war. War is full of casualties. We'll be lucky if any of us survive the end of this day. I suggest you help your legionnaires out. I doubt Frank's little ape show will keep them away long."

The daughter of Bellona turned around without another word and walked back to her soldiers.

"Do you think she's alright?" Frank asked a little nervously.

Jason stared at her retreating figure for a moment. "I don't know. They've been through a lot together. I think she's just putting up a tough façade. Weakness is not her style and she would never show it in the middle of a battle."

Frank looked at Reyna for a moment before turning back to the river, hoping for some sign of his friend. Jason put a hand on his shoulder, "Come on Frank, we've got to help the others."

Frank frowned but didn't argue as he let himself be led back towards the Fifth. They hardly made it a few feet when the ground beneath their feet began to rumble slightly. He looked towards the other end of the bridge where he paled at what he saw.

Standing in a row across the width of the bridge, were at least two dozen Laistrygonian Giants. As terrifying as they were, it was nothing compared to cold shiver that what stood in front of the giants sent down Frank's spine.

A monstrous serpent slithered in front of the line of giants, its eyes glued to the legionnaires as they scrambled to finish pulling the wounded back and reform their lines.

"Holy shit," Frank whimpered. "It's a Drakon."

Jason turned to look at his friend and saw the look of pure terror on his face.

"It doesn't matter. We need to hold this bridge. Are you with me Frank?"

Frank nodded his head numbly but every fiber of his being wanted to turn around and run away from the monster as quickly as possible.

"Form ranks!" Jason yelled the members of the Fifth who looked about as ready for this fight as Frank. Jason turned and shoved Frank. "Zhang, you're now my second in command. It's time to start acting like a leader."

"But…."

"No buts, you're our new Centurion and you had better be as good as Jack was." Jason ordered.

Frank seemed to straighten instinctively as he finally broke his gaze from the monstrous creature across the bridge.

Without warning, the Laistrygonian Giants barreled past the Drakon and charged straight at the legionnaires who tensed, preparing for battle. As the giants closed in, all remaining pilums were launched from the Roman lines.

The weapons had minimal effect on the heavily armored giants who barreled forward, their massive size too much for the weary Roman lines to withstand. Within seconds, the entire bridge was chaotic, with legionnaires trying to overwhelm giants with group attacks. At first, they seemed to be somewhat effective but after a few giants fell, the vibrations under the Romans feet told them they were in trouble.

Across the bridge, the reinforced Titan forces were charging towards them, undoubtedly about to wipe them out.

Jason lunged forward, slashing his blade across the exposed leg of one of the giants. The blade broke the skin only seemed to enrage the giant who spun around trying to backhand Jason. He ducked but the camper behind him was not as lucky as it was sent flying through the air towards the edge of the bridge. Jason tried to scramble away but was pinned to the ground with a foot to the back. He barely managed to turn his head enough to see the giant raise a huge javelin.

Jason closed his eyes and waited for the pain of death when the pressure on his back was suddenly replaced by the familiar feeling of electricity coursing through his body. While not painful, the voltage made the son of Jupiter's head spin a bit. Before he could even turn around, he felt his body covered in dust as he realized the giant was dead.

Shaking his head to remove some of the dust, Jason climbed to his feet, unable to locate who it was that killed the monster and saved his life. Before he could think too much about it, he was forced to jump aside to avoid being crush by a staggering Laistrygonian with a number of spears sticking out of chinks in its armor, the group of Romans responsible turning to find their next target.

The two cohorts had been pushed together as they were forced to backtrack under the monster assault. Frank found himself beside Reyna, his bow no longer able to be used as he tried to defend himself with a sword as best he could with his less than stellar skill.

As the Roman found themselves coming towards the end of the bridge, they tried to push back but failed to get any momentum as the enemy pushed on. Just as their minds drifted towards an all-out retreat, thunder louder than they had ever heard cracked overhead and monster and demigod alike were frozen for an instant.

Behind the Roman lines, a hunting horn blared loudly before a volley of silver arrows flew carefully over the Romans' heads and cut down several monsters.

The Romans used this chance to retreat back to where the hunters stood, continuing to fire arrows to cover the Romans retreat.

Reyna hurried her legionnaires past her as she tried to make sure they all made it back. After shoving the last few along, she felt like she was hit by a moving train as her body skidded across the pavement before coming to an abrupt halt as she hit the feet of a looming Laistrygonian. The giant raised its foot to crush her when a massive hammer slammed right into its face and sent the monster crashing onto its back, its face a mess of blood and broken bones and teeth.

The hammer suddenly flew back the way it came as a looming figure seemingly dropped the sky. The figure's armor was nothing like Reyna or anyone else had seen. She knew who it was but had never seen him in anything like it before.

Chainmail could be seen behind his dark colored chest plate and covering him arms which had vambraces from his elbow to his knuckles. His chest plate was emblazoned with runes and other things Reyna did not recognize. Shoulder pads gave him the look of a larger figure than he truly was but the strangest thing was the helmet. Large curved horns protruded out the front of the helmet which covered most of his head with the exception of his face.

A Cyclops charged towards him. He caught Mjolnir as he turned, slamming it into the monster's knee and sending it crashing face first into the pavement. Thunder cracked loudly overhead and lightning flashed across the sky and Reyna couldn't help but be in a little awe of her boyfriend at the moment. She had never seen him in battle out of his disguise anywhere but in Tartarus and she was stunned at the aura of power he gave off. His face was confident and serious, none of the usual mirth could be seen in his eyes. The enemy backed up a bit thinking that a god had come down to aid the demigods in battle.

As they backtracked, a horrendous screech could be heard from behind the enemy as they instantly parted, the Drakon slithering its way forward, its eyes glued to Percy and Percy alone.

Reyna felt a hand on her shoulder as she realized she was still crouched in the spot the giant was about to crush her. She looked up to see the startling blue and yellow eyes of Percy looking at her with concern. She climbed to her feet, never taking her eyes off him.

"Go back to the cohort. This battle is mine."

Her eyes widened a bit, "No, I will help you fight it."

He shook his head, "No, I want to do this alone. Just trust me, I can handle it." Reyna looked at him a little nervously but he gently grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him. "Go, I promise I know what I'm doing."

She reluctantly backed away, watching as he turned to see the Drakon slithering its way closer, not more than twenty feet away when it came to stop. The two, demigod and monster stared at each other. Of course Percy was careful to keep his eyes trained on its mouth rather than its paralyzing eyes. The Drakon reared its head back, ready to spit its acidic poison when a bolt of lightning dropped from the sky, hitting Percy as the Roman all cried out in a panic.

When the smoke cleared, Percy was unharmed. He looked up at the monster before he turned, in both directions no less, as he seemingly split in two. The Drakon froze, looking back and forth between the two Percy's unsure which one to attack. The two Percy's suddenly split into two more Percy's and they continued to do this until there were at least a dozen of them, all with Mjolnir clutched in their hands.

Reyna had to fight back the urge to yell and ask what the hell was going on. She just stared at Percy, well at least one of them, unsure how in the name of Pluto he was doing this.

Suddenly all twelve Percys hurled their Mjolnirs, sending a dozen hammers at the Drakon. They all hit but only one seemed to make an impact as the monster's head was jarred to the left after being hit. The twelve Percys charged, crisscrossing as they went to keep the monster confused. The Drakon spit poison, hitting one of the Percys in the face but the image of that Percy just flickered and disappeared.

The Drakon looked around in a panic, spitting poison at as many Percys as it could before it spun around, swinging its tail through half of the Percys. Like the first, their images just flickered and vanished. Before the Drakon could recover, the real Percy jumped onto its back. The monster flailed and bucked but he had a firm grip on one of its scales.

He raised Mjolnir to the sky, a bolt of lightning dropping and hitting the weapon just as he brought it down on the Drakon's back. The monster shrieked in pain as its body convulsed with millions of volts of electricity coursing through its body. Percy used the moment to jump forward, closer to its head before he brought down the hammer as hard as he could. The godly weapon smashed into the back of its head, finding one of the few spots not covered in impenetrable scales, and crushed its skull. The Drakon immediately went limp and collapsed into the ground unmoving where it began to dissolve seconds later until only the skeletal remains were left.

Percy jumped down from its back, the enemy army already started to back up. The Romans stepped forward and a volley of silver arrows came from behind the Romans as remains of the Titan forces took off in retreat, trying to not be impaled by the hunters' arrows as they ran.

Percy turned and found the eyes of the entire First and Fifth Cohorts on him, looks of awe and confusion on their faces. He looked at Reyna but before he could do anything, Jason stepped forward.

"I know you!" Percy paled a bit at those words. "You're that kid. The one who helped Reyna and I fight off Lycaon and the werewolves all those years ago." He breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Jason questioningly.

"That I am. I don't suppose you're going to give me the thank you that you forgot to give back then, are you?"

Jason stopped, he wasn't sure was to say. He recognized the guy's face but his armor and getup looked like it was out of a badly made movie. After a minute he recovered, "Why are you here?"

Percy raised an eyebrow, "To fight of course. I came here with the hunters. And if you don't mind, there are other defenses that could use reinforcements."

The Romans turned to the hunters, all of whom gave them cold looks in response. Percy quickly used the distraction to retract Mjolnir and slip past the Romans to where the hunters waited.

"We'll reinforce the Greeks; I suggest you do the same with your people. Leave a good sized force here to guard this entrance and set up some way of communicating between the bridges." Percy explained as he turned, catching Reyna's eyes in the process. He tried to not show any recognition but couldn't help from frowning at his situation. He shook it off as he reached Zoë. They exchanged a few words before the hunters took off at a quickened pace towards their next destination.

Percy looked back at the Romans one more time. This time he saw Frank who was unable to keep the massive grin off his face at seeing Percy alive. Percy couldn't help but crack a small smile back. With one last look at Reyna, he raised Mjolnir and shot off into the air leaving a bunch of gawking Romans, one grinning son of Mars, and a daughter of Bellona who tried to keep a small smile off her face knowing Percy was safe.


	27. A Night Not Soon Forgotten

Ch. 27

It wasn't easy to leave his cohort or the other legionnaires, the people who had accepted him as one of their own, to go off and fight alone but Percy knew the Greeks had far inferior numbers after they had been wiped out by the attack from the Labyrinth. He headed for the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel knowing the hunters were on their way to the Holland Tunnel.

When he got there, the situation was already bad for the Greeks. They had been pushed back, taking cover behind overturned vehicles and anything else they could find as the majority of demigods, most of who seemed to be Apollo children, fired arrows hoping to slow the progress of the Titan Army. He watched one fire an arrow into the middle of a group of monsters and force anything within a ten foot radius to drop to its knees holding its ears to try and block out the ringing of its ears from the sonic blast of the specialty arrow. It didn't kill the monsters but it was undoubtedly quite effective.

A small band of less than thirty demigods were still in open combat with the monster army but they were losing ground fast. The monsters had the superior numbers and momentum as the small band of warriors desperately tried to not be overrun. Percy touched down a few yards behind the archers as they tried to provide support for their fellow campers.

He saw Thalia trying to rally the Greeks, taking the lead as her spear crackled with electricity. She ducked under an incoming arrow and put her spear through the chest of an Empousa who was ready to impale her. The daughter of Zeus wrenched her spear to the side, the attached Empousa flying off and knocking over a few more monsters before it dissolved.

Percy ran forward, past the stunned looking Apollo campers as he hurled Mjolnir forward. The weapon flew end over end and passed inches over Thalia's shoulder and smashed into the face of a Hellhound who was about to lunge. Thalia whirled around, her eyes widening when she saw Percy catching Mjolnir as it flew back to him. He slammed the hammer into the chest of a Dracaena just as Thalia impaled another Empousa with her spear.

"Where's the disguise?" Thalia shouted as she parried an incoming blade and dropped the monster with two quick jabs to the throat. Had they not been in the middle of a heated battle, she would have asked about the ridiculous horned helmet he was wearing... Though she felt a little jealous as it made him look both equally badass as it did foolish.

Percy grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him as an arrow flew harmlessly through the spot she had been standing.

"He died a little while ago on the Brooklyn Bridge." He blocked a spear with Mjolnir, kicking the monster in the stomach before crushing its jaw with a mighty uppercut. "I have no time for games. This was for the best."

Thalia turned to look at the Norse demigod, Aegis springing from her wrist and blocking an incoming arrow.

"Well, Perseus Jackson, if that is your name, I have to say, it's good to see you at the moment."

"Always happy to lend a hand."

Percy raised Mjolnir to the sky and lightning dropped from the sky and thunder cracked loudly overhead.

"This is all you have for fighters? I don't think we're going to last long."

Thalia glanced behind her before turning back to the battle. She opened her mouth to warn Percy but was too slow as a spear hit the back of his neck. He stumbled, falling on his knees in a bit of a daze from the unexpected strike. Before Thalia could kill the stunned monster, it suddenly exploded into a shower of dust.

A figured solidified in its spot as Annabeth Chase, dagger in hand, pulled a baseball cap from her head.

"I guess you weren't kidding about that dip in the Styx."

Percy pulled himself to his feet as he checked his neck only to find it unscathed despite how much it had hurt. "I don't lie, Blondie." She scowled at the nickname and he sighed. "How about we make a deal?" He offered as he rejoined the fight.

"And what is that?"

He sidestepped a blade, sweeping the legs from the enemy demigod out from under him before sending him to unconsciousness with a swift kick to the side of the head. He raised Mjolnir to the sky as lightning dropped, hitting the weapon before he slammed it into the pavement. A shockwave went through the ground knocking any enemy with a few yards off their feet and making many more stumble and struggle to stay on their feet.

"I'll stop calling you Blondie if you stop being a bitch."

Annabeth froze at his words. Her blood boiled and she would have been impaled if Thalia hadn't jumped behind her and blocked an incoming blade.

"Take the deal Annabeth." Thalia hissed. "You've been a bitch and he's been a dick. How about you two call it even and move on so we can focus on the thousands of monsters trying to rip us to pieces?."

Annabeth stabbed a Cyclops in the thigh while Thalia drove her spear into its gut.

"Fine." She growled not looking pleased with the situation. She slipped her baseball cap back on and vanished from sight again. The only sign of her presence were the monsters that would randomly dissolve in the middle of the battle.

"I've got to get me one of those hats." Percy muttered as backtracked a bit, his entry into the fight had given the Greeks a little momentum but that was soon lost by the sheer numbers of the enemy.

Thalia continued glancing behind her as the Titan Army pushed them back. They were almost to the entrance of the tunnel when Percy felt the ground shake beneath him.

"What the Hel is that?"

Thalia grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side as the Titan Army froze, confusion caused many of them to start to panic. A crack formed in the pavement and skeletal hands clawed their way to the surface.

"Shit." Percy cursed thinking these were Hel's minions, not remembering they were on Midgard and she had no power over the dead here.

"Relax," Thalia said smirking. "These are our reinforcements." The skeletal warriors clawed their way out, close to a couple hundred and formed up lines as the monsters turned to face their new adversary nervously. The lines of undead parted as a small figure in dark armor marched forward. As he reached the front lines, he stumbled a little making Percy raise an eyebrow.

The figure seemed to compose him as he pulled out a pitch black sword and pointed it at the monsters.

"Attack!"

The skeletal warriors charged forward. They were a mix of warriors from ancient and modern times and everything in the middle. Percy saw muskets with bayonets attached to them be driven through into the chests of monsters as they stumbled back, the aura of death sending a shiver of fear into each and every one of their hearts.

Percy looked back to find the boy on his knees. He and Thalia both ran to him. When they reached his side, Percy was a little surprised to find he couldn't have been older than thirteen or fourteen. Sweat poured down his face and his skin was a deathly pale color.

"Is he alright?"

Thalia knelt down beside the boy and helped him to his feet as she called over a couple demigods.

"He's fine, it just takes a lot out of him." Percy watched the boy pass out, Thalia's shoulder serving as an impromptu pillow. "He's actually quite powerful, a son of Hades. He's going to want to talk to you. When I told him I knew a son of Thor, I thought he was going to have a heart attack." She smirked handing the unconscious son of Hades to a couple other campers who placed him on a stretcher and took off to find him a safer napping spot.

"What?"

"He's really into comic books and that Myth-O-Magic card game. I think's you're going to be his hero when he wakes up."

Percy looked less than impressed, "Well, that sounds marvelous." He turned and found the skeleton warriors had forced the enemy into full-fledged retreat. The sun had almost set and only a glimmer of light still shone through the buildings that made up the New York skyline.

"So," Thalia asked after watching the skeleton warriors chase the monster army across the tunnel, "you need a place to stay, you know, since your Roman alter ego met his demise today?"

He raised an eyebrow back at the daughter of Zeus, "No, I'm going home."

"What? You're leaving?"

He rolled his eyes, "Where would you go if you had all of Olympus looking for you?"

Thalia looked utterly confused making him smirk at her.

"Right under their big dumb oblivious noses. I grew up here in New York and the minute I left Olympus after telling your father off, I just came home. Of course he assumed I ran for one of the far corners of the earth to hide from his mighty wrath." He mimicked trembling before his smirk grew, "but yeah, it's been a long time since I slept in my bed and I have no plans to miss the opportunity tonight."

Before Thalia could get another word out, the son of Thor raised his hammer to the sky and shot off into the air, something that sent a nervous shiver down the acrophobic teen's spine.

"Well, goodbye to you too." She muttered before frowning... She never got a chance to ask him about that rather awesomely strange helmet.

Line Break

After leaving the Brooklyn Bridge, Reyna and the rest of the First Cohort had gone to the 59th Street Bridge to reinforce the Fourth and about half of the Third. Jason had led the Fifth to the Manhattan Bridge to reinforce the Second and the rest of the Third while both cohorts left about fifteen legionnaires to watch over the Brooklyn Bridge for the remainder of the day. After a couple more hours of fighting, the Titan forces withdrew, failing to take control of any of the entrances guarded by the Romans. After leaving small contingents to watch the bridges, the Romans retreated back to the Hilton Hotel to rest and take a count of their losses for the day.

After taking a tally of their injuries and fatalities and giving her report to Praetor Cassie, Reyna worked with the rest of the uninjured members of the First in tending to the wounded as best they could. As she passed out ambrosia to the wounded, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She turned and saw the silver outfit of one of the hunters. The girl looked around fourteen. She was well-built but also looked agile. Her blue eyes made Reyna guess she was a daughter of Apollo or Mercury.

"A friend has asked for you." The hunter said looking at her expectantly.

"Phoebe right?" The girl nodded. "Where?"

"The roof. The fighting seems to have stopped for the day and he has reports for you to pass onto your Praetor."

Reyna nodded as the girl turned and disappeared through the crowd of Romans in the lobby of the hotel. She turned and found the closest elevator. Once inside, she pressed the button for the top floor and the doors started to close.

Before they could, an arm shot into the door, stopping the elevator from closing and reopening the doors to reveal Frank Zhang looking slightly anxious.

She scowled a little, "Go away Frank. I have something to do."

"Yeah, you're going to see Percy. I just want to talk to him for a minute. I promise I'll leave you two alone, I just want a minute to talk to him."

She glared at the son of Mars but when he didn't waver she growled something under her breath that he took for a yes. He slipped into the elevator as the doors closed and took off for the top floor. Frank kept his eyes glued to the buttons, watching them light up every floor they ascended as he had no wish to see what kind of look Reyna was giving him right now.

After a few minutes of silence, the elevator doors dinged as they opened at the top floor. The duo found the stairs up to the roof and slipped through, looking around for Percy as they stepped out into the cool New York evening.

He wasn't difficult to find, even in the darkness of the early night. His horned helmet still on his head, he stood with one foot on the ledge as he surveyed the city below.

He turned as he heard the loud and ungraceful steps of Frank approaching.

"Dude," Frank said gawking at his back. "That was the most awesome thing I've ever seen! You destroyed that Drakon!"

Percy turned, a small smile on his face as he did, "Well I had a bad experience with one in Tartarus. I guess I sort of owed the species one."

Frank grinned at his friend. He was about to speak again but Reyna cleared her throat to show she had no interest in listening to their little bromance.

"I just wanted to see you for a minute. I mean, well, I kind of thought you died when the giant smashed you off the bridge."

Percy took a step forward and pulled Frank into a manly embrace before he could object.

"It's good to know you care," he chuckled. "But it's going to take more than a dip in the East River to kill me. I think you know firsthand how adept I am at not dying." Frank frowned at the memory but Percy gave him a playful shove. "All in the past, I'm just giving you shit."

Frank sighed with relief and glanced again at Reyna.

"Sorry, I just wanted to see you for a minute. I'll give you two some privacy."

Percy smiled, "We'll see each other soon Frank. That's a promise. We've got a long ways to go before the end, no matter the outcome."

Frank looked a little uneasy by his words but knew he was already pressing his luck in terms of Reyna's patience. He nodded and hurried back to the stairwell to return to his cohort.

Reyna watched Frank scurry off and waited until she saw the door to the stairs shut behind the clumsy son of Mars. She turned to Percy but remained silent. Neither spoke for a moment until Reyna's eyes drifted to the odd looking helmet on his head.

"What in the name of Jupiter is that on your head?"

He chuckled a bit, "A gift sent from my uncle Loki. I happen to think this thing is pretty badass and haven't felt like taking it off yet."

Reyna didn't even know how to respond. She'd never seen anything like it before. At the moment, it looked rather foolish but she couldn't deny that when he first showed up, he looked downright terrifying, the helmet only adding to the effect.

Percy could tell what she was thinking and smiled before he took a step forward, his body splitting like it had done earlier. Reyna's eyes went wide at the sight.

"How are you doing that?"

He smiled mischievously as both Percys stepped closer to her, both reaching out for one of her hands but only her left was grabbed while the Percy reaching for her right flickered before disappearing.

"It's the helmet. Loki is God of Trickery, amongst other things, and this helmet is his. With it I have the power to create illusions as long as I stay focused. It's probably the coolest thing I've ever been given." He grinned before sobering, "Other than Mjolnir, of course. That's my baby."

Reyna rolled her eyes before she looked confused, "How? How did you get it? Like how did you get it from him if he's not even on the planet?"

"My mothers gave it to me. It was sent from Asgard. The gods, my gods, they are trying to reach Earth but the way is broken. They are trying to fix it or find another way but it is not easy. Sending an object is far easier than sending a celestial being. The helmet they could get here, the gods, not yet."

Reyna nodded, still looking at the helmet in awe. Percy reached up and plucked it from his head. He made to put it on Reyna's when she backed up nervously.

"That's a godly weapon. Demigods have been killed for far less."

Percy grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him, "It was a gift given to me. Now it is a demigodly weapon. And I would like to let my girlfriend use it for a moment."

She looked at him for a moment before she slowly nodded, still feeling nervous about using a god's weapon. When it rested on her head, she felt a rush of power similar to when she held Mjolnir but not as strong.

Percy chuckled at the look on her face. "Okay, now just imagine yourself walking in two different directions. Actually picture your body splitting apart to make two Reynas."

She looked at him like he was insane but when she realized he was serious, she did as he asked. She felt herself take a step to the left and turned to ask why it didn't work. To her utter disbelief, she was looking at replica of herself wearing the same awestruck expression she knew she had plastered on her face at the moment.

"Now this," Percy said gesturing to the two Reynas, "is something I could have a lot of fun with."

Reyna's awed looked turned into a glare as the copy of herself flickered and vanished.

"What happened?"

Percy shrugged, "You lost concentration, most likely thinking about all the fun things me and the two yous could do together." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively until a hard fist to the chest wiped the amusement from his face. "Alright, kidding. I'll just think of them."

She rolled her eyes and plucked the helmet off her head, handing it to Percy who set it down on the ledge behind him.

"Come, sit with me."

Reyna gave an anxious glance to the ledge before swallowing her fear and letting her legs hang off the edge just as Percy was sitting.

"So, pretty interesting day."

Reyna looked at him incredulously until she saw the slight smile tugging at his lips.

"Yeah, a day I really want to remember."

"Hey, you should. Today was the day Jack Vidar died. I'd only heard things but people say he was quite the skilled warrior. A real handsome son of a bitch too."

"He was too arrogant for his own good."

"I take offense to that. I find my arrogance to be a precise match for my level of awesomeness."

Reyna's expression wasn't that amused, more depressed than anything else, something Percy noticed as his playful smile vanished.

"It had to be done. I couldn't worry about keeping my identity a secret. I need to be able to fight, to really fight, using all my powers and Mjolnir."

She nodded, "I know that. It's just, now there is no going back. As far as everyone is concerned, you're dead. There's no way you can come back to camp, after the war." Her face turned a little red, "I mean, if that was what you wanted to do, you know, if you don't go back with your family."

She felt him gently grab her hand, "Just because things can't go back to the way they were, it doesn't mean different is necessarily bad. And Asgard is not a place for mortals. This is my home."

She looked less than convinced, "If you manage to defeat Hel, they'll probably make you a god like the Olympians did for Hercules. It's a greater accomplishment than anything he ever did."

Percy looked a little uneasy, "We'll see I guess. I will say that I won't be heartbroken to stay a mortal."

She looked at him strangely, "Why would you not want to be a god?"

Percy chuckled, "I didn't say I don't. I'm just saying, there are worse things to be than a mortal. Besides, being a god seems like the second most overrated job in the world."

"What's the first?"

He smiled, "Being a demigod."

Reyna shook her head but knew just how right he was. Their lives were tough from beginning to end and they rarely lasted long. The key was to find happiness where you could while you were still alive.

A comfortable silence enveloped the young couple as they gazed out into the silent New York night. The fact that the city was silent was a chilling reminder of the millions of slumbering New Yorkers strewn out over the city.

"Where will you stay?" Reyna asked, "With the Greeks?" She couldn't keep the slight hint of distaste from her tone as she spoke.

"Home." Reyna raised an eyebrow. "I'm from New York. I live maybe twenty minutes from here. Well, I used to, before I went to Camp Jupiter."

"But, that place. Where your mothers brought us when you were hurt, I thought you lived there?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "More like a beach house." Reyna gave him a look which made him put his hands up, "What? I was raised by immortals. They have a lot of money."

"Are they there, your Moms?"

"No, they have other things that require their attention at the moment." His tone made it seem like he wasn't really sure what they were doing so she didn't press him.

"So, you're going to be alone?"

Percy turned his head, "Why, are you offering to join me?"

Reyna's face was tinted with a slight blush that she shook off quickly.

"You're supposed to be the one person that can stop Hel and you want to go stay in an apartment, by yourself, where she could show up and slit your throat while you sleep. If you insist on being foolish and going home, then it would be best if someone was there to save your ass if something happens."

She stared at Percy waiting for his response, assuming he would either have some kind of sarcastic remark or argue that he would be fine.

After a minute he just shook his head, "Yeah, like I'm going to argue against my hot girlfriend coming to my unoccupied apartment alone with me. You ready?"

He offered her his hand but Reyna didn't take it.

"I can't just leave. I need to tell Cassie so people don't think I'm dead or captured."

Percy nodded, "So meet you downstairs?"

She nodded as he spun around, his feet now hanging on the roof side of the ledge. Before she could even speak a word, he gave her a cheeky grin, tucked the helmet under his arm and rolled himself backwards and over the ledge.

She yelped in shock before she remembered that her infuriating boyfriend could fly and was obviously fine. She turned and hurried to the stairs and she started thinking of what to tell Cassie as for why she was leaving.

-x-

Reyna stood outside the Hilton Hotel without another soul in sight. She looked down both sides of the street, her irritation at standing alone growing by the second. Percy had said he would meet her outside and now she had been standing there for at least a half of an hour. Her thoughts then began to drift, wondering if maybe something had happened to him. Soon, her mind was putting her into a state of panic as she looked down both sides of the street anxiously, about to take off in hopes of finding him.

Before she could, a thud behind her made her nearly jump out of her skin. She turned and found Percy stand there with a slight smile tugging at his lips.

This of course only made her angry as she had been about to search for the idiot thinking he had gotten himself hurt.

"What took you so long?" She growled in a tone that should have wiped the smile from his face. Instead, it seemed to grow making her anger grow along with it.

"What?" He asked as his tried to put on an innocent face. When her scowl grew, he pulled out the flowers he had behind his back.

Had it been another day, he probably would have allowed himself to laugh at her look of utter disbelief and slight embarrassment.

"What…"

"When we sat on the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, you said I owed you a better date than our lovely hike through Tartarus. Given the situation and the likelihood that both of us, every other demigod in this city and the gods of Olympus will be dead in the next couple days, I figured now was a good time to give you that date."

Reyna was tongue tied, unable to respond. This was pretty much the last thing she had been expecting. She half-expected him use the situation to try and get laid, using the last day on Earth line like pretty much 90% of the male population would. But instead, he seemed more concerned with fulfilling her request she had made more to stress the point he was not going to die. She felt the familiar awkward tenseness enter her body, exactly what happened the few other times Percy had gone out of his way to do or say something romantic or sweet.

Percy watched her look of confusion turn to one of embarrassment as she clearly wasn't sure how to respond. For a chick, her knowledge and general interest in romance was pretty low but he knew that no matter the tough exterior, everyone wants to feel loved. It was part of being human and the truth was that she meant a lot to him and they could both very easily die the next day and given that knowledge he wanted to make sure she knew how he felt about her.

He handed her the flowers, a five finger discount taken from a snoring florist a few blocks over. She took them a tad awkwardly, her cheeks burned a bit but her lips twitched into the smallest of smiles making him smile as well.

Then he took the flowers back and tossed them over his shoulder.

"Sorry, they were just for show. They wouldn't survive this." Before she could even ask, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her tight before Mjolnir appeared in his hand and they shot off into the New York night.

Had her eyes been open, Reyna would have seen the beauty of the city lit up in the night; apparently it had been night when the city passed out as most lights appeared to be on. She felt them gently land as her eyes opened, the horror of the ride there pushed far back in her mind.

She looked up and was confused to find them in front of another hotel, The Plaza. Percy walked past the first door and to the one a little farther down that had the word Residences on it as she realized this was where he lived. She followed him in and onto the elevator which took them up to the very top floor.

When the elevator doors opened, her mouth dropped open in surprise. His apartment was a mansion.

"This is where you live?" She asked with disbelief.

He shrugged, "Like I said, I grew up with three immortals. Apparently they were accustomed to a certain level of comfort on Asgard."

Reyna stepped inside, a vast room that appeared to be just the beginning. Noticing her curiosity, Percy grabbed her hand, "How about a tour?" He led her by the hand through the vast penthouse showing her the sitting room which was bigger than the house Reyna had grown up in when she lived in Puerto Rico.

She allowed him to continue to lead her into a hallway where he showed her not one, but two bathrooms… And that was just in that hallway. A little farther in, he opened a door to what was supposedly their living room. In reality, it was a throne room with massive couches and chairs in the place of thrones and the biggest television Reyna had ever seen.

He then led her to the end of the hallway where a stairwell led both up and down, showing how massive the home truly was.

"Come on, I'll show you where I really grew up." He said pulling her down the stairs until they came to another hallway. This one had three doors, one on each side and a large pair at the end of the hall. He led her to the end before pushing the doors open making Reyna gasp.

Inside was a full-sized arena.

And it was beautiful.

She looked around realizing how impossible this was until Percy spoke.

"Enchanted by magic. It's bigger on the inside."

She nodded her head numbly as she looked around. It was built looking like a mix of both ancient and modern times. She could see a number of electronics and other devices that she could only guess were for. The floor was split in two, half of it padded with mats while the other half was dirt.

"This is unreal."

Percy smiled at her awe before shaking her head, "Yes, it is very cool now. But when you're six and you're forced to spend half of your day in here training, not so much. I hated this room for most of my life. This was my personal Hell."

Reyna's eyes widened a bit at the thought. That did seem pretty extreme for a kid. She walked around, ending up on the side of the room where some kind of console sat in front of a chair.

"What is this?"

Percy smiled, "Actually it's kind of fun." He walked over and took a seat, turning some switches as a screen lit up with a keyboard in front of it. He typed a few things in before turning to Reyna with a slight smirk.

"You want to go or me?"

"Go? What?"

He chuckled and stood up before pressing one more button. Suddenly the room seemed to come alive. The walls shifted and moved, a number of machines appearing in the walls as Percy ran to the wall and pulled a sword from it. He ran back to the middle of the room and stopped, getting down in a crouch as the machines continued moving before they suddenly stopped.

The room was silent before a mechanical voice came from the ceiling.

"Simulation in five seconds."

"Four"

"Three"

"Two"

"One"

The minute the countdown reached one, an arrow flew from one side of the room, straight at Percy who expertly blocked it with his blade. The arrow was followed by another and another until they were coming continuously from all sides of the room. Reyna watched in awe and disbelief as Percy fended off attacks from all sides. His movements were flawless as the arrows came from all different directions. There had to have been sensors as the arrows followed Percy's movements, all aimed for a different part of his body but all perfect shots.

After a full minute, the assault stopped. Percy lowered his blade and started to walk towards Reyna when another arrow flew from behind him. She yelled but he just chuckled as the arrow hit his back and bounced off. He reached down, grabbing one of the arrows and showed it to her.

"Blunt tipped." He said tossing it back to the ground. "That last one was new. Must have been added by Brynhildr. She seems to find the most amusement out of my pain." Reyna raised an eyebrow but he smiled, "Not really, she's just tough. Likes to pull pranks like that too."

"What the hell was that?"

Percy shrugged, "Just a training simulation. There are dozens of different kinds and levels in the computer. That was set on 7 so it wasn't too bad."

Reyna shook her head rethinking her thoughts of Percy growing up a spoiled rich kid.

He grabbed her hand and led out of the arena and back into the hallway. "The other rooms are a weight room and hot tub. You know, for training or whatever."

He led her back up the stairs, stopping at the floor she had already seen, "Upstairs are the bedrooms. There are like six so you can have your pick. You can see them later, we have to hurry."

"What? Why?"

He shook his head and led her by the hand past the sitting room and through another pair of double doors. The doors swung open to reveal a beautiful dining room. Her eyes went wide when she saw the table set with a couple candles and silverware out.

She opened her mouth to say something but before she could, he led her to the table.

"Just sit, please."

She did as he asked, still looking shocked when he disappeared through another doorway leaving her alone only to come back a minute later with two plates, setting one down in front of her and taking a seat with his across from her.

"Percy," she said in disbelief. "What is this?"

"Chicken Penne. I've seen you at camp, you eat that like three times a week."

Reyna blushed, a little embarrassed he knew her eating habits so well. "But how? And why?"

He looked up with a serious expression, "It's our date. We can't go out so I made a quick trip to New Jersey where thankfully they are not all asleep. I got us a couple dinners and left them in the oven to stay warm before I came back to get you."

Her eyes went wide, "But why?"

He rolled his eyes at her, "I know you don't really do the whole romance and dating thing and to be honest, neither do I. But this could very easily be the last night we're alive. If that's the case, I want your final memories in this life to be good ones." She opened her mouth but he held up his hand to stop her. She grudgingly nodded for him to continue. "Listen, I don't really do well with the whole feelings and whatnot." He said awkwardly. "So this is me trying to show you… you know… how I feel about you."

Reyna stared at him for a moment unsure of what to even say. She wasn't any better at talking about her feelings but she wanted him to know she felt the same. Finally she smiled, "Thank you Percy. This… This is perfect."

He slid an empty glass across the smooth wooden table.

"It's enchanted like the ones at Camp Jupiter. Just think of what you want and it will appear in the cup."

Reyna nodded, imagining grape soda before smiling as she took a sip of her favorite beverage.

The two ate a quiet dinner together, the conversation was somewhat light as other thoughts weighed on each of their minds, though those thoughts were very different for the two of them. Percy was thinking about the war and when Hel would show her freakish looking face. He very much wanted to smash it with Mjolnir for that trip to Tartarus. He was also nervous, his moment, the one people had been telling him he was born for, was approaching very quickly. The one where he was supposed to meet his godly cousin in battle and in doing so determine the fate of about seven billion people.

Yeah, no pressure or anything.

Reyna on the other hand was thinking of anything but battle. She would sneak glances across the table, watching him when his attention was elsewhere. Soon enough though, their meals where finished. Percy grabbed the plates and whisked them off to the kitchen as Reyna stood up a little nervously. She had never stayed at a boy's house, not one she dated anyway. Then again, she'd never dated anyone before and it made her quite nervous.

Percy walked back into the room, a towel in his hands as he dried them. "Upstairs there are six bedrooms. You can take your pick."

"What about you? Where is your room?"

"It's the first one on the right. You can sleep there if you want, I can stay in Eir's room for the night."

Reyna nodded. She opened her mouth to speak but found her mouth suddenly extremely parched. She grabbed her glass from the table imagining it full of ice cold water. She took a long drink before setting it back on the table. Before he could react she lunged forward shoving Percy against the wall where her lips met his in a heated kiss.

Percy was in a state of shock as she slammed him into the wall, kissing him furiously. It took a moment before he regained his senses and senses, kissing her back with the same passion. She pulled back after a minute, her face red but a look of determination on it.

"I want to sleep in your room," her face somehow managed to turn a little redder, "with you."

Percy nodded, happy that he'd get to at least share what could easily be his final night with a beautiful girl who he was crazy about. He was about to respond but then saw the way she was looking at him. He choked on his own breath for a moment as he looked at her in shock.

"You mean," his face turned an equally dark shade of red. "You want to do that?"

Reyna looked at her feet, the nervousness forcing her to not meet his eyes.

"Only if you want to."

Percy was silent for a moment.

"Does a bear shit in the woods?"

Her head snapped up, "What?"

Percy chuckled before turning serious, "That would be a yes but only if you're sure."

She took a breath and steeled her nerves, "I am."

Rather than responding Percy's arms went to her backside, pulling her off her feet where he crashed his lips onto hers. Reyna mentally sighed with relief. The awkward part, the talking, was over. Her arms went around his neck and tangled in his messy hair while her legs went around his waist. She felt him walking with her firmly attached to him, the two still kissing furiously.

Percy set her down as they reached the stairs. She grabbed his hand, pulling him up the stairs where he grabbed her again. He pinned her against the wall kissing her again as they lost themselves in the passion of the moment.

She heard the door be kicked open as she grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him into the room where she shoved him onto the bed, using her foot the shut the door behind her. The last view from the hallway was of Reyna pulling off her shirt as she stalked toward Percy who sat on his bed waiting for her.


	28. Dreams and Holding Manhattan

Ch. 28

Percy had hoped his dreams would be good, the night before had been… well surprising… but also amazing, to say the least. Sadly, his good night ended the second he fell asleep with his arm still draped over Reyna who had fallen asleep a few minutes earlier.

He knew it wasn't going to be a good dream. Good dreams never started in creepy places. They started in awesome places or with awesome people. But as his vision began to clear, he noticed there was absolutely nothing awesome in what he saw around him.

He found himself outside some kind of strange warehouse. It was dark but he was pretty sure he had never been there before. It had the kind of creepy vibe that you don't forget about very easily. He looked around and found a sign above the entrance to a storefront next to the warehouse.

"Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium?" He muttered to himself as he looked around at the statues strewn rather haphazardly in front of the store.

The statues caught his eye right away. They weren't even of gnomes, they were of people… Well, mostly people that is, and some very odd looking creatures.

He walked up to one of statues. It was of a father and daughter from the way they looked and their expressions were confusing. The girl seemed to be smiling while the father, a hand on the girl's shoulder, had a look of pure terror in his face like he just realized, 'oh crap, we're dead'.

He looked around and saw a number of other equally odd statues to find in a mortal store; a teen with a sword raised in defense; one was of a girl no older than fifteen with a sword in one hand and another covering her eyes, her fingers parted as if she was trying to take a peak without being seen. There were dozens of them, most of teens but some adults, some families, he even saw a satyr with a terrified expression, some kind of weird instrument hanging from his lip as if he was caught by surprise.

A voice shook Percy out of his thoughts as he knelt down behind the satyr statue trying to remain hidden.

"My lord," a voice said with a sense of urgency and perhaps even some fear. "I do not think it wise to trust her."

"Bah," another voice growled. "I never said I trusted anyone. That doesn't mean she can't be useful. She will help us crush the demigods so that we can take Olympus unopposed."

Percy peaked around the satyr and was surprised what he saw. A huge man, at least seven feet tall, stood with a worried expression facing the other smaller figure that had his back to Percy. The tall man was wearing a pinstripe suit. He looked like a normal guy, if not an extremely tall one, with the exception of his face. His face would have been handsome had it not been marred with scars. It looked as if he had gotten into a scrap with a raccoon. And the raccoon had clearly kicked his podex.

Percy shook his head; even his mind was thinking in Latin, he really was starting to go native.

"Do not underestimate her, my lord. We do not know how powerful she truly is. This is dangerous. You do not need her to take Olympus. Even without her and her minions, our numbers are ten times those of the demigods. It will take a day at most to crush them."

The smaller figure scoffed. He turned around and Percy choked a little. He knew that guy. He was the same prick he had kicked off the ledge at the Titan base a couple years earlier.

He couldn't believe this dick had lived. No one could survive a fall like that. He remembered how angry that Annabeth girl had been at him, even two years later, as if he had had a choice in the matter. The guy would have killed Thalia if he hadn't stepped in. And given the choice between some traitor douche and Thalia, it wasn't a difficult one.

Then he noticed something very different about the kid, something he definitely didn't have when Percy tried to kill him.

Bright golden eyes that shined with power could be seen glowing as he glowered at the taller man.

No, that is something that would have caught his eye the last time they met.

The golden eyed teen was clearly in charge as he sent a withering glare to the giant, and scarface immediately shrunk back a bit.

"I am the Lord of the Titans." He spat. "No mere goddess is a threat to me. I care not who she is, she is an asset, one who will use up her purpose when the demigods and this son of Thor have been crushed. I…"

"My lord," the tall man interrupted looking towards the building. Percy paled a little when he saw who he was looking at. Hel strode towards the duo, a calm smile on her freakish looking face. Her half-woman, half-skeleton body still sent a chill down his spine. He wished the mist covered her true form a little better but he seemed to have a special talent at seeing her through the mist.

Odin's beard, he felt so blessed.

"Lord Kronos," she smiled at him and Percy's breath caught as he realized the kid he thought he killed was somehow now the Titan Lord Kronos.

"Lady Hel," the tall man bowed a bit, a slightly nervous edge to her voice.

"Is there something you need?" Kronos asked in a slightly annoyed tone. It seemed like he was trying to show the tall man he had no fear of the Norse goddess.

Hel glanced at the Titan Lord for a second, almost as if sizing him up, before she nodded, "Yes, I came to inform you I will have a special treat for these demigod brats; one they shall never hope to defeat."

Kronos nodded looking pleased by this news, "And what of the Norse boy? You claim him to be powerful; will it be enough to destroy him?"

Hel smiled wickedly, "He will not be an issue. His death draws near, I have seen it."

Kronos smiled, "Good, good. I would like to have Olympus conquered before the storm giant reaches the city. I shall rip apart their thrones piece by piece starting with those traitorous brat children of mine."

Hel nodded her head but she didn't seem to be paying attention to Kronos. Her dark eyes scanned the statues before stopping on the satyr as her smile grew even more evilly.

"Ah," she smiled looking genuinely happy, "an eavesdropper."

Kronos and the giant man looked alarmed, if not a little confused why they did not sense the intrusion.

"Didn't your mother tell you it is impolite to eavesdrop demigod?" A staff appeared in the goddess' hand, "or that's right. She died before getting to meet you, pity." She mocked. Percy was about to stand up when Hel slammed her staff into the earth. The satyr statue and every other one around him crumbled to pieces and knocked Percy on his back. Hel was standing over him in a second.

She tutted her finger at him scoldingly, "Not very polite little cousin. Perhaps, you need a lesson in good manners."

Before Percy could respond, the goddess' staff began to glow and she brought it down as he tried to roll away.

He slammed face-first into the floor of his bedroom. His body was drenched in sweat and he desperately tried to catch his breath. His heart raced as his dream came back to him. Hel would unleash something that she was convinced would be more than he could handle.

After catching his breath and calming down, he looked at Reyna who still slept peacefully despite his wake up crash. He knew she was tired after yesterday's battle and the sight of her sleeping peacefully forced a smile to creep onto his face. Even with her hair disheveled and a small bit of drool falling from her mouth, she still looked beautiful.

He looked at the clock and realized he would have woken up soon anyway. He decided a shower would be a welcome treat to wash the sweat off his body while he let Reyna sleep a little longer.

-x-

Reyna felt herself slowly waking up. Her mind was still half stuck in her dreams and the comfortable bed she was on had her body pleading for more sleep. The bed was comfortable, much more comfortable than the bed she had in the barracks at Camp Jupiter.

Her eyes shot open as she remembered she wasn't at Camp Jupiter. Nope, she was on the other side of the country, in the bed of her Norse demigod boyfriend after doing things she hoped her mother never found out about.

Her heart sunk a bit as she found herself lying alone in his bed. She looked around but Percy was nowhere to be seen.

She worried the night before had been a mistake; that Percy left after she fell asleep, not wishing to spend the night with her. In seconds, her mind had worked herself into a full-fledged internal panic. She looked under the covers to find she was still completely naked. Her face turned bright red as she looked around for her clothes only to find them strewn haphazardly around the room.

She wrapped herself in the sheet and stood up just as the bedroom door opened and Percy walked in, a towel around his waist and hair still dampened. When he noticed her, he smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"Um, I like the whole toga thing, you really do pull it off, but there's a robe lying right beside you. I put it there before I got up to take a shower."

Reyna looked beside her where a robe was folded neatly at the edge of the bed. She mentally face palmed for not noticing it in the first place. She looked at Percy who was watching her with amusement.

"Would you like me to turn around?" He teased before turning, allowing his towel to drop and giving Reyna a full view of his bare backside as he opened his dresser drawers to find some underwear to put on.

He looked over his shoulder and smirked as she stared at him, "You know, there's a camera in the bedside table. Maybe you should take a picture, it will last much longer."

Finally regaining her composure, she grabbed one of the pillows and hurled it at him as he tried to put on a pair of boxer briefs.

"Alright, alright," he laughed. "I'm kidding."

Reyna snatched up the robe, slipping it on quickly as Percy put on a white t-shirt. When he turned around, she was right behind him.

"There's a bathroom across the hall. You can shower and come downstairs when you're ready. I'll whip up a quick breakfast. It's only 5:30, I figure if I get you back to the Hilton by 6:30, you should be able to slip back in before most of the legionnaires wake up."

Reyna nodded and made to walk out when he snatched her hand, stopping her in her tracks.

"Are you okay? Are you regretting last night?" He asked, a hint of worry laced in his voice.

She shook her head, "No, it was just I woke up and you were gone…."

He raised an eyebrow at her, his silent question was obvious.

Do I look that stupid?

Reyna looked down, embarrassed at the conversation they were having until she felt a gentle hand underneath her chin. He brought her head up and until she met his eyes. Instead of saying anything, he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. When he pulled back, he leaned down to her ear.

"I may not be the smartest demigod on the planet, but I promise you, not even I am stupid enough to leave you."

Reyna stared at him for a moment before she leaned up and kissed him again, "Good choice, I'd hate to have to castrate you right before a big battle."

Percy paled a little at the thought making her smirk. She walked out of the room and into the bathroom, feeling relieved the awkward conversation was over. That and that the night before had not been a mistake. She was sure of that now. She smiled and turned on the shower as her thoughts turned from her love life to the day ahead of them.

-x-

Percy dropped her off shortly after 6 a.m. He told her about his dream while they had eaten. She was worried but it wasn't like they weren't expecting this. They had no choice but to let the Fates decide what happened. Well, the Fates could decide but they also had no plans and wait for the old hags to make a decision. With Reyna, he had dropped off almost every Norse weapon he had in his apartment. They had filled two large and enchanted duffel bags but it was needed as they could mean the difference between life and death for the Romans when they faced whatever Norse monsters Hel would throw at them. Reyna planned to pick and choose the Legion's best fighters to wield the weapons since they were limited in quantity and whatever surprise Hel had for them was very likely something Percy would not be able to defeat on his own.

As Percy drove away, he realized how much he already missed his life as "Jack Vidar", the son of Venus. The months spent at Camp Jupiter had been some of the best of his life. He had allies, friends and even a girlfriend who he couldn't deny he was crazy about.

He sighed as he swerved his borrowed motorcycle through the unmoving cars of the slumbering New Yorkers. Things would never go back to the way they had been. Hel, he'd probably be dead by the end of today, maybe tomorrow at the latest if he was lucky.

A glint of bronze caught his eye as he saw a couple demigods standing outside the Hilton Hotel. One look at their armor told him they were Greek. They both pulled out their weapons as Percy parked his bike by the sidewalk and dismounted.

"Who are you?" One growled towards him. She was a buff looking girl with stringy brown hair and a sneer on her face that looked permanent. Her red eyes made him guess she was a child of Ares. A spear was gripped tightly in her hand that sparked with electricity as she stared at him with narrowed eyes.

"My name is Percy, I need to see Thalia and Annabeth."

The girl's eyes managed to narrow even more, "They didn't mention expecting a visit. You might be one of those traitorous demigods and this is a trick."

"No, I'm Percy Jackson. I was the one who destroyed the Williamsburg Bridge yesterday and effectively saved a bunch of your Greek asses. Now we don't have a lot of time, can we skip to the part where you relent and bring me to Thalia after trying and failing to scare me?"

The girl jabbed him in the ribs with her spear sending a jolt of electricity through his body. To her utter shock, he just chuckled and smiled mischievously at her.

"Stop it, that tickles." He said in a girlish voice as she wrenched the spear back and looked ready to impale him.

The other guard nudged and whispered something to her that made her scowl. She reluctantly nodded that she would bring him inside.

"So," Percy said trying to sound friendly. "What's your name?"

"Clarisse," she grunted back at him. "Daughter of Ares." Her expression was full of disdain, "And I'm guessing you're one of those Romans, aren't you?"

"Nope," He said popping the p. "Norse, if you want to know. A son of Thor."

Clarisse paused for a minute and glanced at Percy, taking a look at his armor and finally realizing how odd it looked. She hadn't given it much thought and just assumed he had been Roman.

"Thor?" She asked without hiding her disbelief. "Like the lightning god from the comic books?"

Percy smiled, "That'd be my Dad, though I don't know how accurate the comics are considering I've never met him."

Clarisse looked at him skeptically as they walked. Without warning, Percy held out his hand with a slight smirk tugging at his lips. The gray bracelet on his wrist glowed for a second before a massive hammer materialized in his hand.

Clarisse's expression was full of shock and disbelief. She just stared at the weapon in awe. "Impossible," she murmured.

Percy spun it in his hand before it vanished back into a bracelet again as he tried to not laugh at her face.

"Th… That…." Clarisse stuttered, "that's Thor's Hammer! H… How do you have that?"

Percy just shook his head, "How is not relevant, the only thing you need to know is that power of the Mjolnir fights for your side."

Clarisse didn't have a chance to respond as Annabeth stood a few feet in front of them at the bottom of the stairs. She looked at Percy with a bit of distaste but kept her lips pursed in a tight line.

"Daughter of Athena," Percy said in a respectful tone. He was tired on getting on this girl's nerves. They needed to get along if they wanted any hope of surviving this war.

She seemed a little surprised he hadn't called her Blondie and nodded her head to him, "Come, Thalia is upstairs. She will want to talk."

They left Clarisse and Percy followed her upstairs and into one of the hotel rooms where Thalia was talking to a couple other Greek demigods. When she saw Percy, a small look of relief briefly flashed across her face.

"Percy," she nodded. "We were just going over scouting reports. It seems the enemy has increased in numbers. We have a direct line open to the Romans so we can organize defenses of all entrances to the island. Even with the Williamsburg Bridge out of commission, we do not have the numbers to hold them again today. They will break into the city and we will be forced to retreat closer to the Empire State Building."

Percy nodded as if this information did not surprise him… which it didn't. He knew they were outnumbered and it would only get worse the longer the battle lasted. The enemy had reinforcements while they only had what they had and their numbers would continue to shrink.

"Where are you weakest? I can help reinforce that entrance but I will likely roam as the day lingers on." He gave Thalia a look that made it clear he wanted to say more but not in front of the two other demigods he didn't know.

Thalia stood up from the map she was looking over and turned to the other two demigods, "Will, Jake, you know where you're needed, pass the message along, I'll be down in a moment."

The demigods glanced at Percy and then back at Thalia clearly unsure about leaving her with this strange demigod, but when they saw her eyes narrow, they quickly nodded and took off.

Once the door closed, it was just Thalia, Annabeth and Percy in the room. Both Greeks looked to the son of Thor and waited for him to speak. Percy pulled seat up from the desk inside the room, his expression was dark as he told them of his dream. To say they were worried would be a vast understatement.

"What are we supposed to do? Can we even fight those kinds of monsters?"

Percy nodded, "That's why I'm here." He slid the backpack he had been wearing off his back and unzipped it on the bed. Instead of reaching in, he tipped it upside down and dumped the contents on the bed.

Both Greeks looked shocked when a number of weapons poured out; swords, spears, daggers and hunting knives; the bag had to have been enchanted considering it was only big enough to hold a couple of the weapons.

"What is this?" Thalia asked looking confused. "We have weapons…"

Percy smiled at her question, "If you run into a monster that isn't affected by celestial bronze, I suggest you use these. They will save your lives and buy you some time until you can retreat. I hope they won't be needed but you need to be able to protect yourselves."

"What are these made of?" Annabeth asked holding one of the daggers in front of her as she looked at with curiosity.

Before Percy could answer, a demigod burst into the room.

"Thalia, the armies are moving. Scouts say we've got less than 30 minutes before they reach the island."

Thalia set her jaw and her eyes hardened before she nodded to the demigod, "Then it's time to meet them head on. We must hold the island at all costs."

Annabeth began to pack the weapons back into the bag as Percy walked to the window and tried to open it only to find it didn't even have an option to be opened.

"Damn mortals," he muttered under his breath. "I mean really, did they not even consider the needs of demigods who can fly when they designed these things?"

Mjolnir appeared in his hand and was tossed into the window which shattered and sent the shards falling into the street below. Mjolnir flew back to him and vanished as he walked to the window before looking at Thalia, "Well, let's hope we survive this day to talk again, good luck."

Without waiting for her response, Percy jumped into the frame of the open window and launched himself into the cool morning air.

Line Break

Reyna stood in front of the Roman lines on the 59th Street Bridge. The rumbling at their feet told them the enemy approached. Though they couldn't see the enemy yet, her heart raced at Percy's warning. She had passed out Percy's weapons to her best fighters while also giving some to Jason and Frank to pass out as well. She hadn't explained the new weapons other than to say they came from the Greeks saying they may be necessary if new breeds of monsters appeared in the enemy lines.

Jason had looked confused but Frank understood and pulled Jason away before he could ask anything else. Even with their new weaponry, she couldn't help but worry if they could survive the day. Even without a Norse monster to fight, they were facing almost impossible odds. Thousands of monsters, a Norse goddess and who knows how many Titans against less than 500 demigods… Her hands trembled slightly but she gripped her sheathed gladius tightly as she waited, unwilling to show weakness in the face battle. She was a daughter of Bellona and fear was beneath her.

To her utter relief, a legion of Cyclopes appeared at the other end of the bridge instead of a horrifying Norse beast. Perhaps relief was not the right word, especially when the lines of the enemy seemed to be endless.

"Stand your ground." She said firmly and loud enough for all the Romans on the bridge to hear. "You are members of the Roman Army, children of the gods themselves, you will not give these monstrous beasts even an inch. We will hold this bridge."

The sound of swords clanging against shields was the only response she needed as the Romans instinctively tightened their lines.

When the monster army came within fifty yards of the Roman forces, they stopped. Both armies stared at each other, the Cyclopes on the front lines barred crooked and yellow teeth, huge clubs clutched tightly in their hands as they looked hungrily at the Roman forces.

The Roman met the monsters glare with a steely one of their own. The Romans did not waver against the stacked odds, their honor on the line, as they prepared to hold the bridge until their final breath if it was necessary.

Without warning, the monsters charged forward and the Romans locked their shields together. As they two armies clashed, the bridge broke into absolute chaos. The force of the Cyclopes' charge broke through the shield wall and ended any semblance of a unified defense by the Romans.

Reyna narrowly avoided being run over by a Cyclops but quickly recovered. Her gladius was in her hand as she sliced it into the back of the one-eyed giant's leg. The monster dropped to a knee and was soon impaled by multiple Roman swords at once until it dissolved to dust, its essence making a one-way trip to Tartarus.

Reyna jumped forward, driving her blade into another monster's stomach as it raised its club to attack. The blade was pulled out with a sickening slitch sound before the monster dissolved.

Reyna's body was on autopilot as she stood on the front lines, her blade handing every monster that came in range a quick passage to the pit. Sleeping in a real bed had rejuvenated the daughter of Bellona. She pulled a dagger from her thigh and slammed it into the back of a Dracaena as it tried to impale her only for her to nimbly spin away.

No matter how many beasts she dispatched, the monsters seemed endless. For an hour the Romans managed to hold their ground but they were slowly being pushed back. She saw some of her fallen comrades on the ground, wounded or unmoving and that ignited a protective fury inside the demigoddess.

She sliced the head of a Hellhound clear off its body but received a spear to the chest. Her armor saved her but she was knocked off her feet from the force of the strike. Before she recover, a Cyclops pinned her to the ground with an ugly foot to her chest.

-x-

Within minutes of setting up lines on the Brooklyn Bridge, Jason and Frank were in a fight for their lives. A squad of enemy demigods was parked in a phalanx formation twenty feet in front of them but they were just wall as monsters funneled past them at the disorganized Roman forces.

Jason ducked under a lunging Hellhound that was met with an unpleasant surprise when it hit the ground.

Frank stood in the form of full-grown Grizzly Bear who sent the hound flying with one swipe of his massive paw. The son of Mars was a force by himself as he swatted aside weapons and ripped monsters apart with his bare hands.

He lunged to Jason's side, changing form into a panther that launched itself at a Laistrygonian Giant, knocking it onto its back and ripping out its throat with his teeth in one fluid motion before lunging towards another monster.

Jason didn't have time to observe Frank as he continued changing forms and ripping monsters to pieces as the enemy continued to push forward. The Fifth tried to hold their ground but soon enough they were slowly getting pushed back as well.

The phalanx of enemy demigods was starting to push forward. Monsters still surged past them but the Romans were funneled between the end of the bridge and the wall of traitors.

Jason felt his anger growing as those traitors, demigods who fought alongside monsters, forced them back. He grabbed the spear of an Empousa as she tried to run him through. He wrenched it from her grasp, causing her to stumble forward in the process before he drove the hilt of his sword into her throat, sending her to the ground gasping for breath she could not find through her crushed windpipe.

Jason hurled the spear into the chest of a Cyclops and raised his gladius to the sky. His anger fueled his power as the sky darkened and lightning danced across the sky. A massive bolt dropped from the sky and hit his blade before he thrust it at the phalanx.

The center of the demigod's formation was blasted apart as the lighting sent them scattering, a number lay unmoving, their smoking bodies lay in the street being trampled by monsters as they tried to surge forward.

Seeing Jason blast apart the phalanx, the Fifth Cohort let out a roar of approval and fought with renewed vigor as they met the monsters charge with their own, gaining some of the lost ground back.

-x-

Reyna tried to stab the monster in the foot but she couldn't move her arms enough to reach it with her blade. She glared defiantly into the monster's single eye and waited for death.

Then a silver arrow impaled that single eye as the monster shrieked in agony and stumbled back before a second arrow pierced its throat and it dissolved to dust.

Reyna felt a hand grab her and pull her to her feet. She stared in shock into the dark eyes of the huntress who had come to their aide them at Camp Jupiter. Zoë Nightshade gave her a small smile as waves of silver arrow came from the Roman lines and pushed the monsters back enough for the Romans to regroup.

"Zoë," Reyna said in shock.

The huntress smiled at her and notched an arrow she fired into the throat of an Empousa without even looking.

"Sorry we're late. We heard you use a hand over here."

Reyna could help but grin as she prepared for the monsters to charge again.

"Better late than never, you just saved this bridge."

Zoë continued to fire arrows but her expression soured, "Yes but our hunting falcons report the other bridges are almost lost. We'll have to fall back soon. Their numbers are too great to hold the entrances."

Reyna cursed in Latin and blocked a spear, batting it aside and decapitating the monster with a quick swipe of her blade. Zoë's bow had vanished as she fought with duel hunting knives. The two teens fought side by side but even with the hunter reinforcements, the monsters seemed endless. Every wave the Romans and hunters took out, another charged from behind giving the demigods no reprieve from the onslaught.

Zoë and Reyna got separated, becoming their own islands in an ocean of monsters. They were forced to play defense, trying work their way back to the rest of the Romans lines but the monsters kept them separated.

A blade grazed off Zoë's shoulder opening up a deep gash as she cried out in pain. She spun, slicing open the stomach of the attacking Dracaena as she tried back up. Her shoulder wound quickly sapped her energy. It wasn't fatal but it slowed her movements.

Reyna noticed the wound and knew Zoë needed help. She kicked a Hellhound out of the way but two more jumped in her path. She pulled another dagger from her thigh and hurled it over the Hellhounds where it imbedded in the back to a Cyclops who was trying to flank Zoë on her wounded side.

Reyna was about to try to make a final charge to reach Zoë when she saw she heard thunder boom overhead. She could only hope as the monsters blocked her sight and she was forced to focus on defending herself before she was killed.

Zoë jumped back from the club of a Laistrygonian Giant but was knocked off balance as a Cyclops with a dagger in its back stumbled into her on her injured side. She looked up as a Hellhound jumped, about to pounce on her. She instinctively closed her eyes but they snapped back open when she heard the yelp of the hound. The beast was nowhere to be seen but a blur flew back from the direction it been coming from.

The monsters' attention seemed to be drawn behind her as she staggered back to gain a little breathing room between her and the monsters. She couldn't help but grin a bit when she saw a figure wearing the weirdest horned helmet she had ever seen and pushing ahead of the demigod lines. In one hand he held a bronze sword but the other held a familiar and terrifying weapon she knew only one demigod could wield.

Percy hurled Mjolnir into the stomach of a Laistrygonian, sending it flying back into a couple of its brethren before blocking a spear of another monster. He grabbed the monster and pulled it in front of him as an arrow flew out of the monster lines and impaled the monster before it was tossed aside, dissolving as it fell to the ground.

Percy held out his hand, Mjolnir returning to its master as Percy stepped up beside Zoë. His face was weary from battle but also full of fiery determination. Reyna had used the monsters' momentary pause to join her boyfriend as she ran to Zoë, examining the wound and pulling a square of Ambrosia out for the huntress to eat.

"Perseus," Zoë said gratefully. Her arm was covered with blood but the wound began to close slowly as the godly food worked its magic on the huntress.

Reyna pulled Zoë back as they backtracked towards the slowly regrouping Roman lines. The monsters also moved back, as if a silent order had been given to fall back. Percy watched them warily, unsure why they began to retreat and not liking the thoughts that came to mind when he theorized.

"Zoë," he said with a slight smile. "You were the first friend I ever made; the only way you're dying is if they go through me first."

Zoë felt surprisingly touched by his words. Despite her dislike for the male species, Percy had been her first real male friend. She opened her mouth to respond when an ungodly sound nearly shook the bridge beneath them.

She tried to look down the bridge but couldn't see anything but the monster lines. She turned her eyes to Percy and saw something that sent a chill down her spine. His face was a ghostly shade of white and his mighty hammer shook in his trembling hand as he stared across the bridge.


	29. Anywhere But Here

Ch.29

Reyna looked at the son of Thor and a nervous chill pulsed through her body. Since she had known him, through their journey to Tartarus and back, Percy had hardly batted an eye at whatever danger was thrown at them. But right now, as he stood with the most powerful weapon in the world clutched tightly in his hand, he looked absolutely terrified. The fact he was terrified told her she should probably be feeling the same way.

"Percy, what is it?"

He didn't respond right away; instead he just stared across the bridge as if he were waiting for confirmation that his greatest fear was coming to pass.

"It… It's…. It's not possible. She couldn't. This can't be right." He muttered but it seemed he was talking to himself more than her or Zoë.

Zoë grabbed his arm which still shook slightly, "Perseus," she said in a firm and commanding tone. "What is it?"

He didn't have to answer as the shrieking of monsters drew Zoë's eyes across the bridge. Monsters screamed and tried to scramble away as a gigantic wolf, bigger than a dump truck; at least twenty feet in height and three times as long stalked its way through the monsters. It seemed to get annoyed with the monsters in its way and snatched a half-dozen of them in its jaws, turning them into dust with a quick crunch of its teeth.

Sleek black fur covered the beast's body as it towered over the other monsters. Even the biggest Cyclopes and giants in the Titan army cowered in fear of the beast. Its red eyes shined with intelligence as it moved its gaze down the bridge until it those glowing red eyes landed on Percy.

A look of recognition appeared on its face as the monster barred its massive teeth and glowered across the bridge at the son of Thor.

"Run," Percy whispered. Both girls looked at him confused as he finally snapped out of his daze. "RUN!" He yelled with such authority both females backed up a step. "Run and get as far away from this place as you can. That is your only hope, run!"

"What about you?" Reyna demanded noticing he was not making any move to retreat.

He shook his head, "I cannot flee. It is here for me. This is my destiny, I can't run away from this."

Both Zoë and Reyna looked at him with disbelief, "We're not going to leave you."

"You have to!" He growled. "If you don't, all those you brought to this battle will die as well. Lead them to safety or else they will all die."

"Percy," Reyna asked looking across the bridge fearfully, "what is that?"

His face was still pale but his arms no longer shook as the monster just stared across the bridge at him, waiting for him to answer the challenge.

"It is the bane of the All-Father, the monstrous spawn of Loki and one of the harbingers of the Ragnarök; the mighty wolf Fenrir." His voice sounded hollow but he swallowed the lump in his throat and stood taller, "Please, if either of you have ever trusted me, you must do as I ask. Get these people far away from here."

"But you'll die." Reyna choked a little on her words but managed to get them out.

"Perhaps," Percy agreed but voice was more confident than it had been, "but if I am worrying about those I care about, I will have no chance of defeating the beast. The only chance I have is doing this alone."

Zoë grabbed Reyna's arm and pulled her back. She tried to wrench her hand free but when she met Zoë's eyes, a silent understanding passed between the two. Reyna turned around and looked at her fearful troops, "Fall back! In the name of Jupiter, fall back now!"

The Romans did not need to be told twice. The power the monster radiated made even the bravest Roman soldier want to bury themselves in a hole just so they did not have to gaze upon the great wolf.

Reyna looked back to Percy and almost stopped in her tracks.

He walked forward to the middle of the bridge and dropped Mjolnir to the ground beside him; it cracked the pavement as it hit. His shoulders slumped a bit and it looked like the life was being drained from his body. Percy dropped to his knees as the beast slowly stalked forward, never taking his eyes off his prey.

Percy's head dropped and he looked to be surrendering. Reyna started towards him but was grabbed by Zoë again.

"Don't," she warned making Reyna's anger flare up.

"He's going to die."

"No," Zoë said with such certainty that Reyna felt a pang of jealousy at the way she spoke about her boyfriend. "You must trust him. It is what he asked us to do. We must move quickly or we will not make it in time."

Reyna looked torn between Zoë's words and the urge to run to Percy's aide. She allowed herself to be pulled back but she kept her eyes on Percy as the giant wolf stalked towards him, ready to claim its prize.

Fenrir stopped ten feet in front of the demigod and let out a victorious howl before lunging forward, its jaws were mere feet away from him when Percy surged forward, somersaulting between the beast's legs and drove a sword into the monster's back right leg. The blade slid about half way in when Percy held up his right hand, Mjolnir flying to its master, as he caught it and swung in one fluid motion, using the two weapons like a hammer and a nail, and driving the sword all the way to the hilt into the monster's leg.

Fenrir howled in pain and jumped forward limping on its back leg where the blade's hilt gleamed in the sunlight.

Fenrir spun around and let out a ferocious growl that sent the monsters from the Titan Army running for their lives. Percy stood his ground, pulling the shield from Hemera off his back as he prepared for an impossible battle. If this was the day of his death, he had no choice but to face it and make it a glorious death, one worthy of a son of Thor.

Percy held Mjolnir tightly in his hand. Every fiber of his being wanted to flee but he managed to stand firm as the monster charged again. He hurled Mjolnir but Fenrir was unbelievably fast for such a large creature, darting aside before trying to pounce on the demigod. Percy jumped back, using the winds to propel him until a huge paw swatted him out of the air. He flew into one of the bridge supports and fell hard to the ground. The curse of Achilles protected his body but the pain was still immense as he felt like he had been broken in half.

At this point, the bridge was emptied, both armies had retreated leaving Percy and Fenrir alone to battle.

Mjolnir flew back to Percy as he rolled aside, catching the weapon as it pulled him along the ground, narrowly missing the snapping jaws of the wolf. He skidded to a stop on his knees and got to his feet, backing up as Fenrir stalked towards him. Percy raised the weapon to the sky which darkened at his command and dropped a bolt of lightning on the beast. This only seemed to annoy the giant wolf making it growl in anger and continue stalking towards its prey.

He turned and sprinted to the side of the bridge, the wolf on his heels, its jaws snapping at his feet. Percy reached the side of the bridge and jumped up to the one of the support beams, kicking himself off and to the side as Fenrir crashed face first into the solid iron. It was a brief victory as Fenrir barely missed a step. Hot breath could be felt on his back as Fenrir closed in on Percy, who spun around, hurling Mjolnir at its mouth just as it closed in on him. The mighty hammer caught the wolf into the teeth, knocking out a couple of the razor sharp fangs and making Fenrir pull up with a howl of pain.

Percy did not have time to admire the damage he did. Fenrir recovered quickly and lunged at him again. Percy tried to jump aside but the wolf had learned its lesson, using its paw to corral him in, smacking him between its two paws and knocking all the wind from his body. Fenrir opened its mouth and made to devour him when Percy desperately hurled the shield he got from Hemera into its throat, making the monster choke and giving Percy time to scramble away. He held out his hand and caught Mjolnir as he tried to put some distance between him and Fenrir.

Within seconds, Fenrir coughed up a crushed shield and spit it onto the pavement before its red eyes turned to Percy, the message was clear, you're dead now.

Percy backed up unsure of what to do. He could fly away but that would only lead to Fenrir wreaking havoc through the city and putting thousands of sleeping New Yorkers and his friends at risk.

No, that was not an option.

He would rather jump into the waiting jaws of the beast before he ran and put others in danger. If there was one thing Percy Jackson wasn't, it was a coward.

Without realizing it, he began to spin Mjolnir in his hand by the strap. When thunder boomed overhead, he realized that in his nervousness, he had brewed up a storm. Lightning danced across the sky and he felt the power of Mjolnir working on its own.

"Come on you ugly mutt, you want some demigod? Come and get it." He yelled in defiance.

Fenrir seemed to take that as as invitation as he lunged forward so fast, Percy was nearly swallowed whole. He managed to avoid the jaws but Fenrir turned with unbelievable speed, swatting Percy off his feet and sending him flying into the side of the bridge. Percy felt the back plate of his armor crack. The helmet he got from Loki flew off his head and Mjolnir skidded away from him along the pavement.

Despite the Curse of Achilles, he felt as if he had been broken in half. He felt face first onto the pavement, unable to pull any air into his lungs.

He picked his head up as Fenrir raised his head to howl triumphantly to the sky, almost as if mocking his father as the ease in which he defeated his demigod son. Percy tried to climb to him feet but his body refused to comply with his wishes.

As Fenrir stood over him barring its huge fangs, Percy thought he saw a shadow pass over the monster. He held out his hand for Mjolnir but Fenrir pounced on the weapon as it flew towards him, crushing it into the pavement and burying it in a crater in the pavement. He turned to Percy to finish him off when the monster suddenly howled in pain, yelping as he jumped away. Percy couldn't believe it when he saw a dozen arrows imbedded in its side.

Fenrir spun around looking for its attacker when Percy was sure a shadow passed over the monster again. Too late did Fenrir notice when a giant eagle swooped down, raking its claws across its face before shooting into the air again before it could be grabbed.

Percy felt two pairs of hands on him as he was pulled to his feet. When he looked, he was stunned to find Reyna and Jason behind him, helping him up as they both held Norse swords in their hands.

"What?" Percy asked a little woozy. He was still dazed from being thrown across the bridge and was having a little trouble comprehending what was going on.

"Percy," Reyna said urgently. "Snap out of it. We're here to help but we need you."

Jason pulled some ambrosia out of his pocket and stuffed it in his mouth roughly. Percy choked down the godly food, his senses starting to clear a bit. He looked up to find arrows raining down from different parts of the bridge and the giant eagle swooping in for blitz attacks when Fenrir tried to move towards the hunters who had spread out in groups on different parts of the bridge, firing in clusters and then ducking away before they could be noticed.

Percy looked at the eagle and his eyes widened a little, "Frank?"

Reyna nodded, "Like I said, you aren't alone in this burden. That would be impossible. He may be the bane of Odin or whatever god but that doesn't mean he can take all of us at once."

Percy looked at his girlfriend and then to Jason, who didn't actually know they were friends, and nodded his head, a look of determination on his face.

"Alright, let's do this." He said looking at the two Romans, "together."

Percy held out his hand as the ground shook slightly before Mjolnir flew out of the crater, pieces of pavement flying in every direction as it broke through the ground. Jason and Reyna spread out on each side, the hunters seemed to be running low on arrows as their shots became less and less frequent. Frank tried to swoop in and claw the monster's eyes but Fenrir leaped at him, forcing Frank to transform in the air, turning into pigeon first and twist away from its mouth before then changing into a leopard, raking his claws along Fenrir's side before he hit the ground, bounding away from the huge monster before he was crushed.

Fenrir growled ferociously, the arrows were mere annoyances but they were clearly ones he was tiring of.

Percy looked up at the monster but his mind was not on his next attack. Instead, he silently prayed to his father and grandfather, asking for guidance of how to defeat such a powerful creature, one who gods themselves feared; and how to save his friends, the ones who were risking their lives to help him fight an impossible monster.

Percy hoped for a response but like he expected, no voice spoke in his mind; no sign came from the sky and no idea formed in his head. He shook off the disappointment for such a far-fetched hope and focused on the battle. Reyna was darting in and out, trying to distract the monster while Jason used the winds to propel him toward Fenrir. He managed to land a couple blows but would have been devoured had the hunters not shot a few well-placed arrows into the monster's mouth before it could catch him.

Percy looked at the sky with an expression of anger, "Fine," he muttered. "I'll do it myself."

Before he could even take a step, thunder boomed so loudly overhead that everything, even Fenrir, flinched at the sound. Percy saw something drop from the sky, as if it were thrown from the heavens itself. At first, he thought it was lightning but quickly realized he was wrong. It was dark and was falling right at him. He jumped back as the bridge shook from the impact of the object's collision with the ground.

When the ground stilled, a massive weapon was imbedded into the pavement. A spear the size of a telephone pole was sticking out of the ground. Percy noticed the runes inscribed along the shaft read them aloud.

"Gungnir," he muttered in awe as he realized what this was; it was the spear of the All-Father, his most prized weapon.

He touched the spear and it shrunk down to a mortal size before he pulled it from the pavement as easy as if it had been stuck in wet clay.

The weapon pulsed with a power like Mjolnir did. It was not necessarily stronger but different. Percy felt the power of the weapon coursing through his body and knew what he needed to do to kill the monster.

His moment of awe and disbelief was cut short as he heard the yelp of an animal that was not Fenrir.

In the form of a grizzly bear, Frank was pinned under the huge paw of Fenrir. The hunters fired arrows and Jason tried to call down lightning but Fenrir seemed oblivious and opened its mouth to finish Frank off.

Instinct.

Perhaps his training was so ingrained in his mind that he didn't have to process the thoughts; but Percy's body apparently knew what he needed to do even if his mind was still wrapping itself around the fact his best friend was about to be puppy chow.

Giant, enormous, magical wolf puppy chow, but puppy chow nonetheless.

His body moved with a speed he didn't know he had, sprinting towards Fenrir before he slid along the pavement like a baseball player right between the two giant front wolf paws and thrust the mighty spear of Odin into the roof of Fenrir's mouth.

The weapon sunk deeply into the meaty maw and Fenrir recoiled in pain, freeing Frank from under the paw as Percy hopped to his feet right in front of his injured friend. Jason and Reyna sprinted to Frank who was back in his human form and lying motionless in the street.

Percy instinctively open his left hand and just like Mjolnir did with his right, the spear flew back to him as blood leaked from Fenrir's mouth staining his teeth a crimson color as he roared in outrage.

It charged at Percy who turned and sprinted to a nearby vehicle that had been flipped on its side. He jumped up, jumping off the car and summoning the winds to propel him higher; higher than the wolf had anticipated as his feet touched down on its snout. Not missing a beat, he used the winds and jumped higher, up to the top the Fenrir's head.

Gungnir raised above his head, he wasn't sure if it was his doing or divine aide but a monstrous bolt of lightning dropped from the heavens and struck the spear as his drove it down into the top of the wolf's head, sinking it deeply and sending millions of volts of electricity surging through its body as it convulsed violently.

Fenrir fell, taking the son of Thor with him as the bridge shook under the weight of the collapsing beast. Percy fell hard, tumbling off the wolf and onto the pavement before finally rolling to a stop a few feet away.

He barely had the energy to turn but as he did, he watched in awe as the mighty wolf, the one who was supposed to one day kill the greatest Norse god of all, began to dissolve, crumbling to dust until only a spear lay in the street where Fenrir had once been.

Percy barely had time to acknowledge the fact Fenrir was gone before his vision darkened and he slipped into unconsciousness where he lay.

-x-

Percy felt something unbelievably soft underneath him as his consciousness slowly returned to him. He opened his eyes and quickly shut them due to the brightness of the outside world. Slowly, he forced them open as he adjusted to the world again. His memories of the last thing he remembered returned to him and he bolted upright.

His eyes widened when he saw a half-dozen adolescent girls in silver outfits standing around his cot.

"Um," he said awkwardly, "hi?"

A few of the hunters rolled their eyes but most tried to suppress small smiles. A moment later, the flaps of the tent opened and two girls walked in, both smiling when they saw sitting up.

"And sleeping beauty finally awakes." Zoë said dryly but she smiled as she said it. Reyna looked utterly relieved to see him up. Before anyone else could speak, he did.

"Where's Frank?"

Reyna winced and Percy felt his stomach drop.

"He's alive." She said noticing his look of panic. "He's pretty hurt but the hunters are amazing healers. He broke some bones and had some internal injuries but with the hunters' healers working on him and him eating his limit of Ambrosia and Nectar should have him on his feet by tomorrow."

Percy let out a relieved sigh but he noticed Reyna's uneasy look.

"What?"

"Jason knows who you are, or, who you were I guess." She explained sadly.

"And?"

"He feels betrayed." She answered looking at him sympathetically. "He's happy you're alive but finding out after Frank and Thalia, well, he is a little upset about that."

Percy sighed tiredly this time and nodded, "I'll deal with it. Tell me though, where am I? And what is going on with the battle?"

"The Titan Army has withdrawn. Apparently they withdrew from all bridges when the monster was unleashed. A number of the Greeks watched your battle, apparently they have some kind of magical device, a shield or something that can show them any part of the city."

"And Fenrir? He's gone right? I didn't just imagine that?"

Reyna smiled, "No, you didn't imagine that. Percy, that was incredible. What you did, you saved Frank and probably everyone else in the city including Olympus."

"Yeah," he said sounding unsure. "I'd undoubtedly be dead if not for you and Zoë bringing the hunters, Frank and Jason."

Zoë snorted and ended her conversation with another huntress, "Well of course you would have died, you're a male and bound to do something stupid enough to get you killed." Her comment was supposed to be humorous but Percy's expression was solemn. He started to look around.

"Where is the spear and Loki's helmet?"

"Gone," Reyna replied, "they vanished after the monster died. Where did that spear come from anyway? It literally almost killed you and dropped out of nowhere."

"It was a gift." He answered ominously. "It saved our lives, not me."

Reyna stared at him blankly, "A gift, from where? And it was what you did with it that saved us, not the weapon."

Percy gave her a look that said he would tell her later and stood up, "Where is everyone else? We need to gather the leaders together. We need to prepare for battle."

"What?" She asked confused, "the monsters withdrew, we won the day."

"No," he said shaking his head, "we have won nothing. This is only a setback, they still outnumber us at least ten to one. If I were commanding the Titan Army, I would hit us again tonight, when the monsters are strongest. They will hit us hard tonight too. We need to be ready, I have no doubt Hel will be very displeased with the defeat of Fenrir, she will want to kill me tonight."

"So," Zoë interrupted, "do you have a plan, Captain America?"

Percy ignored the playful barb and nodded, "I do, but I need to speak to the leaders of both the Greeks and Romans plus the hunters. Hel will want me gone and that's exactly what she's going to get."

Reyna and Zoë both looked at him strangely but when his lips twitched a bit and a smirk crept onto his face, they nodded and went to gather the leaders to hear what likely foolish plan he had in mind.


	30. Titans and Stars

Ch. 30

A legion of enemy demigods approached the Brooklyn Bridge as the sun set on the New York skyline. Behind the demigods followed line after line of monsters, all marching through the deserted and silent streets of New York City. They marched in tight lines as they headed for the bridge and their true objective, the island of Manhattan.

Two groups stood in their way about halfway down the bridge. On the left side of the bridge was a Cohort of Roman soldiers standing in tight lines, their commanding officer in front of them, his eyes locked on the approaching enemy.

On the right side of the bridge, a small battalion of Greek demigods stood in a phalanx. What was surprising was how similar they all looked. Every single thing about them was the same. They all were dressed in bronze armor over orange t-shirts and blue jeans, their faces hidden behind Greek style helms with blue plumes that were still visible in the dimming light. The only visible difference was between boys and girls and the long hair that hung out the back of their helms.

Looking back at the Romans, they too were hard to tell apart, all wearing identical golden armor over purple shirts and blue jeans, making them look the identical just like their Greek comrades beside them. The enemy demigods had been given orders to find the Norse demigod and eliminate him at all costs.

This threw a wrench in their plans.

Regardless of the appearance of the enemy, their main goal was to take the bridge no matter what. Kronos was furious with the lack of success up to this point and not a single demigod wanted to return to the Titan Lord with news of yet another failure.

They came to a stop fifty yards away from the demigod defenses and waited for the order to attack. Both armies were still, not a sound was heard from either side of the bridge as they waited for one side to make a move. After a tense few moments, a demigod emerged from the phalanx, a shield and spear were held in each hand as they eyed the enemy with an eager expression.

"You cowards want Olympus?" The voice was female but it was loud and confident, "Here is the path!" Come and take it!" She bellowed across the bridge.

Before the Titan Army could make a move, the Greek phalanx broke apart and two lines of archers appeared in the back, launching a volley to arrows across the bridge.

Most of the enemy demigods managed to take cover behind their shields but the monsters weren't as lucky, a number being hit and dissolving into dust shortly after.

Growls and roars behind the demigods gave them no other option than to charge before they were trampled, forcing them to barrel across the bridge and straight towards the waiting Greeks and Romans.

The Romans locked shields and stood in tight lines while the Greeks went back into their phalanx. As the demigods hit their lines, a number were impaled by spears and pilas while others tried and failed to break through their lines, unable to get past the collective strength of the demigod forces.

A collective push from phalanx forced the enemy back a few steps before they broke apart. Percy, who had been sitting in the middle of the formation jumped to the front. His fight with Fenrir and the time to rest between battles had rejuvenated him. Surviving a battle with one of the most powerful monsters in Norse mythology had invigorated him, renewed his spirits as he began to hope there could be a positive outcome to this war. Surrounded only by a dozen children of the war god and the Fifth Cohort at their side, they took a risk by sending the majority of their forces to defend the other entrances. Percy had convinced them that a small unit of only fifty demigods would be enough to hold the enemy off.

He held a Greek shield in one hand and a spear in the other. A sword was sheathed at his waist; a gift from Zoë who said she had reclaimed it a few years ago after being lost for many centuries. Anaklusmos was inscribed on the blade and it glowed with a faint light in the approaching darkness of the night. A helmet covered his face and he wore the same Greek armor and Camp Half-Blood t-shirt as the others, making him no different than any other demigod. They all looked like Hoplites and were nearly impossible to tell apart… exactly how he wanted it.

It was time for the demigods to make a point. They would not be run over; they would not yield this city and no single powerful demigod would make the difference. It would be their combined might and will that would stand against an army that outnumbered them ten to one.

Percy was the first out of the phalanx. He ran at the enemy, uncaring of whether they were monster, demigod, god or Titan. He thirsted for this battle, a feeling he had never felt before. Fighting with these other demigods; people identical to him in every way other than parentage, made him want to defend the city with every ounce of his strength.

He thrust his spear into the chest of an unprepared demigod and time felt almost like it had slowed. Not for everyone, but just him. He saw the movements of the enemy as if they were in slow motion, allowing him to counter attacks and find gaps in armor. He felt his spear pierce the armor first and then the flesh. He watched the demigod's face as it went from shocked to horrified before he ripped the weapon free. He raised his shield to his left, blocking a blade aimed at his head before he ducked down low, sweeping his spear through the teen's legs and knocking him onto his back. His shield followed after, slamming into the demigod's throat and breaking his neck the second he hit the ground.

He spun away from a sword, sparks flying as the blade grazed his armored helm before Percy thrust his shield into the enemy's stomach knocking him back a few feet. His spear followed seconds later, impaling the demigod in the stomach before being ripped free. He looked up and saw a Laistrygonian Giant ten feet away smash one of the Greeks with his club. He launched his spear, catching the monster in the throat before he charged ahead, using his shield to knock any enemy in his path away before reaching the giant as it dropped to its knees. He ripped out the spear before the giant began to dissolve and ducked under a demigod's sword. He thrust up, impaling the demigod so hard through the stomach, it lifted the traitor off his feet.

Percy felt a warm mist on his face; the enemy's blood hit his face before he pushed forward and pulled back hard, sending the impaled demigod flying off his spear and into the legs of a Cyclops which tripped and crashed face first into the ground.

Before it could raise its head, Percy's spear was driven through the back of its head. He raised his shield and blocked an enemy spear before he swung his spear in a wide arc, cracking the Dracaena who had tried to kill him in the head and sending the monster to the ground in heap. His spear had snapped in the shaft but he took the jagged shaft still in his hand and thrust it into the side of an unprepared demigod. Before the half-blood could turn, Anaklusmos was unsheathed, slashing across the demigod's throat and showering anything within a few feet in a mist of hero blood.

He wasn't sure if it was the enemy's blood in his eyes or just the way the world looked but he only saw red.

Percy's sword and shield became arcs of death and destruction. Every enemy foolish enough to attack him would meet his shield and then taste his blade; his years of training, the endless hours he was forced to work on his skills with every weapon possible now paid their dividends. The thousands of times he wondered how Brynhildr and Sigrún could be so heartless to deprive him of his childhood, and how Eir could look at him sadly but never come to his rescue finally made sense to him. They had done it out of love because they knew this day would come; a day when all their training, all their perceived cruelty would protect him and save his life.

And they had been right.

He was force by himself in the battle. No demigod powers. No godly weapon to depend on. Just his own skills with a sword and shield were too much for any of the traitor demigods to deal with. He fought as an island in a sea of enemies and invulnerability meant nothing because no blade touched his skin. His technique was flawless; his skills were unmatched. He was a mortal but he fought like a god; every enemy that fell to his blade only fueled him on, unrelenting and without mercy.

He was vaguely aware of the Greek demigods a few feet behind him, also running through enemies with a merciless thirst for vengeance. Percy had chosen his companions well; the children of Ares knew what he knew. This was war and war was an ugly thing where mercy had no place. Sparing enemy demigods only gave them a chance to come back and stab you in the back. No matter how heartless it seemed, it was necessary; the enemy gave them no such mercy.

Time lost its meaning. Percy had no idea how long the battle had raged. He only knew at his feet lay the blood of his mortal enemies and the remains of monster essence, staining the ground a dark crimson color of monster dust and mortal blood.

Percy raised his shield as a Cyclops tried to smash him. The force of the strike on his shield knocked him to the side but he used the momentum to spin around, hacking one of the monster's legs off at the knee. Monster blood sprayed from the severed appendage as the creature fell to the ground bellowing in agony. Percy silenced his screams as he drove Anaklusmos into his chest and looked up for his next opponent. To his surprise, no enemies were around him. He looked and watched as the Titan Army retreated back to the other side of the bridge.

He looked around and saw the children of Ares walking around and giving the wounded enemies the best they could offer; an end to their suffering.

The buff looking daughter of Ares approached him, a strange expression on her face as she looked at him.

"What?"

She shook her head slowly, "That…." She paused for a second. "That was awesome. Where did you learn to fight like that?"

Percy gave a little sly smile, "We Norse demigods are more than just pretty faces."

She cracked a smirk at his remark but soon became serious again, "That was too easy. Why did they retreat so quickly?"

Percy looked across the bridge and frowned at what he saw, "They are regrouping. I don't think they expected to be stopped by so few of us."

The enemy stood at the other end of the bridge. They weren't really doing anything though, they just seemed to be waiting.

"We need to regroup. Get the injured behind our lines and prepare for their next attack. We have no idea what they'll throw at us."

Clarisse nodded her head and began barking orders to her siblings who immediately set to work. Percy made his way over to the Romans where Jason was helping to get the wounded and fallen back behind their lines.

"Jason," Percy said unsure of what to expect. He had yet to speak to Jason since Reyna told him he found out the truth. Apparently they thought he was dead and when Reyna looked near tears, Jason had gotten upset she was reacting more emotionally than when her boyfriend, Jack, had fallen in battle. She had decided it was time to tell him the truth which Percy was kind of relieved about but also worried he had lost one of his best friends.

"What?" Jason snapped. His tone was cold and he did not turn around to look at Percy.

Percy winced a little at the harsh reply, "I wanted a chance to talk to you, you know, about everything."

Jason slowly turned around, his expression was stoic but his eyes shone with a number of emotions, most prominent were resentment and betrayal.

"Talk about the fact that everything you've ever told me was a lie? That you snuck into my camp with a fake identity and presumed to manipulate me and the rest of legion for your own gain?"

"My gain?" Percy growled. "Everything I did was to protect you and your gods. I tried to be diplomatic; I allowed myself to be taken to Olympus only for your father to try and kill me because I was not of Greek or Roman blood! You can be pissed that I lied to you, that's fine. You're right, I lied to you and almost everyone else because you are so much like your parents you would have never accepted me. But like I told you all those years ago when I saved your ass from Lycaon, I'm here to help you. Do you want to know why you're the last to know? This is why! You would have reacted like this, judged me based on my parentage instead of who I am. I've risked my life countless times for you and your Roman brethren and yet you have the balls to say that it was done for my gain?"

Percy was breathing heavily and his face was red with anger. Jason's words had set him off and made him feel betrayed. Jason was supposed to be one of his best friends and all Percy had ever done was try to help him and the other Romans.

Jason didn't get a chance to respond. A cheer rose up from the other side of the bridge as a giant figure emerged from their ranks.

Standing at least ten feet tall, a giant stood in front of the enemy army, flanked on each side by a Laistrygonian giant who looked rather unimpressive beside the figure. Draped in pure black armor that glittered in the night with what looked like stars, his head was adorned with a helmet that had horns protruding out and curling back towards his head, like those of a ram.

Even from across the bridge, it was clear the being radiated power. Monsters and demigods alike tried to shrink away.

Percy glanced back at Jason with a scowl on his face, "And again, I will stand beside you against a Titan and his army to defend the home of gods that are not my own."

Jason opened his mouth but stopped when Percy grabbed a spear a few feet away that was still imbedded in the chest of a fallen enemy demigod. He ripped it free and took two quick steps forward before launching it across the bridge. The Titan seemed shocked at the speed the weapon approached but easily stepped aside, only for a Laistrygonian behind him to be impaled through the stomach.

The giant looked down at the weapon in disbelief but it was short lived as his body crumbled to dust. The monsters let out roars of anger and outrage but they stood still, waiting to see how this new being, a Titan Jason guessed, would react.

The Titan looked back across the bridge, his face was impossible to see but Percy could guess there a look of outrage plastered on it.

"ATTACK!" He roared and monsters and demigods alike surged back across the bridge and towards the Greeks and Romans.

Jason fell back into line with the rest of the Fifth Cohort and the Greeks slipped back into their phalanx, waiting for Percy to join them.

But he didn't.

He pulled his shield off his back and held Anaklusmos in his other hand.

"Jack!" Jason yelled but Percy just ignored him as the enemy closed in. A spear flew at the son of the Thor but he simply tilted his head to the side and the weapon whizzed by his face harmlessly. His eyes almost glowed with anger; whether it was because of the enemy or Jason's words, he didn't know. All that he wanted was to quench his suddenly revamped thirst for violence and battle. When the enemy was ten feet away from him, Percy spun like a discus thrower and hurled his shield into the chest of Cyclops and knocked him clean off his feet. A demigod jumped at him and swung a sword with such ferocity that it would have cleaved a human in half. Percy ducked the blade and the demigod ran full speed into him before Percy straightened up and launched the demigod over his back and into the feet of the waiting Roman lines.

For the second time that night, the Brooklyn Bridge descended into the chaos of battle. Monsters were slashed to dust and demigod blood stained the pavement from both sides.

This time though, the demigods defending the entrance to Manhattan did not have the element of surprise on their side. The Titan Army knew what to expect and with a giant Titan leading their army, they fought with renewed vigor.

Percy fell back to where the children of Ares were trying to hold their ground. He parried a spear and sliced the hand off the Dracaena wielding it. Her wails were cut short as another spear, this one crackling with electricity, was driven through her throat.

Clarisse let the monster dissolve to dust, its essence making a one way trip to Tartarus, before she stepped up beside Percy, the grin on her face unable to be missed.

"Gods I love this stuff." She muttered as she batted aside an enemy demigod's sword before sticking him in the shoulder. The demigod began to convulse from the electric shock before dropping to the ground in an unconscious heap.

Percy ignored the daughter of Ares' gleeful attitude. He knew things were not going well. They had already given up valuable ground and were slowly getting pushed further back. If something didn't change, they would end up losing the bridge and the Titan Army would finally reach the island of Manhattan erasing the demigods' one advantage of being able to funnel the enemy into close quarters.

-x-

Jason stood in front in the middle of a swarm of monsters from the Titan Army in a battle for his life. The monsters were endless and no matter how many fell to his blade, they just kept coming.

He blocked a spear thrust at his chest, batting the weapon aside before he darted to his left, barely bringing up his blade in time to deflect a sword from cutting down a daughter of Venus who was stuck in her own battle with an Empousa. The monster's flaming hair whipped wildly as she attacked relentlessly, using her clawed hand as weapons trying to rip the girl's pretty face apart.

Jason disarmed the demigod who tried to attack her from behind and sent the traitor flying back with a hard kick to the chest. He was about to turn to help the daughter of Venus when the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up; a familiar feeling he got when his life was in danger. He rolled back just in time to avoid being cut in half by a pure black sword that was at least as tall as him.

He jumped to his feet to find the giant Titan in front of him, an evil smile on his face as he looked down at him.

"A son of Jupiter," he roared. "I will enjoy your death nearly as much as your father's when we raze Olympus to the ground."

Jason held his gladius in front of him and suddenly wished he had a weapon with more range. His short blade was not going to do well against the Titan's which was at least twice as long.

The Titan looked down at him and laughed, "Don't be scared child; I am the Titan of the South. I can be quite merciful. Just tell me where the child of Asgard is and I will grace you with a quick death."

"You're Krios, the Titan of the Stars and Constellations." Jason said looking wary.

Krios grinned. A Cyclops tried to run past him towards Jason but the Titan grabbed the monster by the neck, picking him up off the ground and hurling him back into the monster ranks.

"This one belongs to me." He roared. "And yes son of Jupiter, I am Krios. Now tell me what I want to know before I am forced to make you tell me."

Jason narrowed his eyes, "I would rather die than tell you anything."

Krios' smile only grew, "Very well, I like your style boy. You want a painful death? Then so be it."

Before Jason had time to think about how to best fight a Titan, Krios lunged at him. His sword, a six foot blade of Stygian Iron, black as night, came down at Jason's head. Jason raised his own blade but barely managed to deflect it away from his head. The Titan had more strength than Jason could have imagined.

Krios slashed and stabbed as Jason brought up his blade, blocking each attack and getting better acclimated to the strength and speed of his opponent. Krios was a skilled swordsman, he kept Jason on the defensive but the monsters gave them a wide birth, clearly learning from the mistake of the Cyclops who tried to interfere. The other members of the Fifth Cohort weren't able to help; the enemy kept them busy and blocked the path to their Centurion.

Jason ducked low to avoid being decapitated and saw his chance. He lunged forward, slicing his blade across the Titan's thigh through a chink in his armor.

Krios bellowed in a pain and stumbled back. Golden ichor, the blood of immortals, began to leak from the wound as Krios looked first at his leg and then up to Jason. His expression was no longer amused and his eyes shone with hatred.

"You'll suffer for that god-spawn."

Jason didn't respond, he kept his mind focused on movements of the Titan. Krios was huge but he moved with uncanny speed. Jason jumped aside to avoid the Stygian Iron blade but Krios was relentless, attacking him with lightning speed.

Oh how he wished he could call down some lightning and blast this Titan to Tartarus.

Sadly, he was too focused on staying alive to try and use his lightning powers. He also doubted lightning would be enough to kill a Titan. He raised his blade and parried a strike from the Titan, forcing the blade to the side before he lunged forward trying to impale Krios but the Titan was too quick. A hard backhand to his face sent Jason stumbling back, yellow dots clouding his sight as he back up as quickly as he could.

Krios slashed and Jason wasn't quick enough, the Stygian Iron cutting through his breastplate and opening up a gash that seared with pain. Jason has never been cut with Stygian Iron but the Underworld metal seemed to sap his energy, as if his very soul was seeping out of the wound.

Before he could recover, Krios swatted his blade out of his hands and kicked Jason to the ground where he landed hard on the unforgiving pavement. When he opened his eyes, a pitch black blade was just inches from his throat.

"Now boy, tell me where the Norse demigod is and I will still grant you a quick death."

Jason's breath caught in his throat. He knew he was seconds from death and likely a painful one if he didn't tell Krios what he wanted to know.

"Well, son of Jupiter?" Krios growled pressing the blade to his throat. "You've fought bravely, better than a demigod could hope to against a Titan. Tell me where he is and I will not make you suffer."

"You want to know where Percy is?" Jason asked knowing his death was only seconds away. Krios waited for his answer, the blade sending a chill down the demigod's spin.

Jason gathered his remaining courage and spit up at the Titan, "Go to Tartarus Titan, I'll never tell you anything."

Krios looked ready to explode as he glanced at the spit on his arm. He raised his blade and Jason closed his eyes, ready to die. But instead of pain, he heard the clang of metal on metal. He opened his eyes to find a glowing bronze blade holding back the Titan's sword mere inches from him neck.

"I'm sorry," a voice said to Jason's side. "Are you looking for me?"

Krios looked up as his eyes landed on a figure dressed in Greek armor, a helm obscuring his ability to see the figure's face.

Percy held a sword in his left hand stopping the Titan from finishing Jason off. "Attacking one of my best friends," Percy said as if he were casually talking to some annoying mortal on the street rather than an immortal being looking to kill him. "You'll soon learn that was not your wisest decision."

Before Krios could respond, Mjolnir appeared in Percy's right as he slammed it into the Titan's chest, sending him flying backwards where he crashed into a trio of Empousai who were crushed beneath his massive body.

"Percy," Jason said in shock. "I'm sorry…"

Percy cut him off, "I know. You should be. But we can talk about you being a dick later. Right now, I need your help, we've got a Titan to send to Tartarus." Percy extended his hand and pulled Jason to his feet.

Jason's stunned expression vanished and a look of determination appeared on his face. He picked up his sword as Krios climbed back to his feet.

"Yes, I think we do." He grinned as he and Percy stood waiting as the Titan looked at his dented chest plate.

"I'm going to filet you alive, demigod." Krios spat. "Norse, Roman or Greek; it matters not. You cannot stand against the might of a Titan."

Mjolnir vanished from Percy's hand, returning to his wrist as a bracelet, and he held Anaklusmos out in front of him.

"You might be right but luckily for us, you're not fighting a Roman or a Norse demigod. You're fighting Percy Jackson and Jason Grace. You'll regret that mistake when you're rotting down in Tartarus, Titan."

Krios bellowed in anger and Percy and Jason flew back from the sheer power the Titan exuded. Luckily for them, they hit a couple Cyclopes which stopped them from flying across the bridge. They jumped to their feet, ignoring the dazed monsters that had cushioned their fall and sprinted at the Titan.

Percy slashed at the Titan's left side but Krios was far too quick. Jason went for the right but Krios managed to deflect Percy's blade and still bring his around in time to block Jason's. The Titan went back and forth, forced to play defense as Jason and Percy attacked relentlessly. Their fighting styles complimented each other perfectly, giving Krios all he could handle.

Percy slipped inside the Titan's guard and managed to land a blow to his unprotected side. Krios howled in pain and winced, giving Jason his chance as he slashed at Krios' lower back, slicing through the armor and opening up another gash from which golden ichor flowed.

Krios stumbled back, trying to put some distance between himself and the two demigods. Percy raised Anaklusmos to the sky and lunged. Lightning dropped and hit blade as he swung. Krios raised his blade but his weapon was blasted from his hand and he was blown backwards as the lightning surged through his body.

Krios landed on his butt in a daze.

Jason ran at him but Krios held out his hand as his blade flew back to him. He brought it up in time to block Jason's who hacked and slashed furiously, trying to finish him off. Krios rolled aside and Jason's blade hit that pavement sending sparks flying. Before he could recover, Krios twisted his body and kicked the son of Jupiter's legs out from under him.

Before Krios could get back to his feet, Percy stabbed his blade through the Titan's armor and impaled him through the shoulder.

Jason got back to his feet and put his blade to the Titan's throat.

"Enjoy Tartarus, Titan." Percy growled as he pulled his blade out to finish him off.

Krios thrust his hand towards Percy and sent him flying backwards with a blast of Titan energy. He tried to turn to Jason but it was too late. He was already mid-swing as the Imperial Gold gladius slid across his exposed throat showering Jason in the blood of immortals.

Krios barely had time to realize his death was imminent before his body dissolved into a brilliant golden colored dust.

Jason turned in the direction Percy had flown just in time to see a Dracaena stab into his exposed side. He lunged at the monster and decapitated her in one fluid motion. He looked at Percy expecting him to be dead but was stunned to see him only wincing.

"What?" Jason asked in awe.

"Curse of Achilles," Percy muttered. "Still hurts like Hel though."

Jason smiled and pulled him to his feet as they both turned to face the enemy only to find they were surrounded. They could see the demigods from the Fifth Cohort and the children in Ares being forced to retreat. They had defeated the Titan but lost the bridge. The Titan Army had breached the island.

A group of monsters and enemy demigods encircled the duo, giving them no path to retreat. A male demigod stepped forward. He was Asian and wore an eyepatch over one of his eyes.

"Surrender now or die where you stand!" He barked at them.

Jason looked around and knew they were screwed. He lowered his blade and looked at Percy who had already sheathed his sword.

"Alright, alright," Percy said holding up his hands. "You won, we'll go peacefully."

Jason sheathed his gladius and held up his own hands.

"Bind their hands, they go straight to Lord Kronos." The demigod yelled to the monsters.

A Cyclops made to grab them when Percy spun around and kicked the one-eyed giant right in the loincloth. The monster let out an unnaturally high pitch scream and collapsed to the ground. The monsters tried to close in when Percy grabbed Jason by the back of his armor and dragged him back. He pulled them both over the railing of the bridge and sent them free falling to the river below. Jason let out a less than manly yelp when he felt the winds propel them towards the shore, making him suddenly feel like an idiot. The winds deposited them on the banks of river and out of range of the enemy who were still trying to launch arrows and throw anything they could at the duo.

"We need to go. I have a bad feeling this is not the only bridge that has fallen. We need to regroup; they'll be marching towards Olympus."

Jason nodded and was about to summon the winds when Mjolnir appeared in Percy's hand. Percy grabbed the back of Jason's armor and they shot horrifyingly fast into the New York night.


	31. Crumbling

Ch. 31

Unfortunately, Percy's supposition about the state of things had been an accurate one. As he and Jason flew higher, they got a bird's eye view of the situation.

And it was not good.

The 59th Street Bridge was overrun with monsters. A battalion of demigods and hunters were doing their best to slow them down, but the bridge was lost.

The same went for every other bridge and tunnel that they could see. The defenses were crumbling, simply unable to hold off the superior numbers of the Titan Army.

"We're too late." Jason said dejectedly. He had gotten used to letting Percy carry him through the sky, though he used the winds to lessen the weight of him as they flew.

"We need to buy them some time. They need to fall back and regroup. We cannot let them overrun our defenses. We have to hold them off until they can set up a perimeter around the Empire State Building."

Jason shook his head in dismay, "How?"

"Remember the battle at Camp Jupiter? Just like that. We do it together, two sons of lightning. We can hold them long enough for the others to retreat. We have to."

Jason didn't even need to answer. The steely look of determination that appeared on his face was answer enough.

The two demigods dropped from the sky as if they had been thrown from a plane. When they were thirty feet off the ground, a gust of wind swept in from underneath them, slowing their descent enough for the drop to feel like it was a mere couple feet rather than several hundred. They touched down beside a couple hunters who were firing arrows as fast as their little immortal hands would let them.

"Get everyone back. The entrances are all falling. We need to regroup and set up a perimeter around the Empire State Building. Tell someone to spread the word, we must fall back!" Percy ordered to a huntress who paused her assault long enough to nod her head grudgingly, obviously not a fan of being told what to do by a man.

Percy and Jason charged past the retreating demigods, a mix of Romans and Greeks who were doing everything they could to hold the endless enemies at bay.

Jason ran straight up to the hood of a car, using it as a launch pad as he threw himself straight into a Laistrygonian whose attention was on a wounded Roman. Before the giant could finish the demigod off, an Imperial Gold blade pierced his chest and Jason rode the blade as it slid down its chest, opening up a huge and gaping wound before the monster exploded into a plume of monster dust.

Jason stumbled as he hit the ground, the dust getting in his eyes and blinding him. He managed to clear it just in time to see a spear being thrust toward his chest. Inches from his body, the weapon stopped and the demigod wielding it flew back into a trio of Hellhounds.

Percy held up his hand and caught Mjolnir as it flew back to his hand. He raised it to the sky and thunder boomed overhead. A bolt of lightning dropped from the heavens and hit the weapon just as Percy slammed it into the chest of a Cyclops. The monster blew into dust and showered the surrounding enemies in its remains.

Percy tossed the mighty hammer to the ground in front of him and unsheathed Anaklusmos. An enemy demigod dove at the hammer and tried to pick it up only to find he couldn't even move it. Just as he realized that this had been Percy's plan, a bronze sword decapitated him in one fluid motion. Percy stepped forward and kicked Mjolnir hard with his foot. It flew as if it were a soccer ball into an Empousai and sent her flying back into the legs of a Hyperborean Giant, sending it crashing to the ground, crushing a handful of Kronos' baddies in the process.

An Empousa lunged at Percy raking her claws across his throat. When her razor sharps nails broke off, she yelped in pain and stumbled back stunned at the result of her attack. Percy didn't have a chance to finish her off because a huge Cyclops, the biggest he'd come across barreled toward him, crushing the smaller monster under its feet.

"Damn, they didn't lay off the ugly for that one." Percy recoiled jumping away when the monster swatted at him.

The Cyclops, which was apparently female, grunted at him, "I am Ma Gasket demigod. You'll make a tasty snack for me and my boys."

Percy held out his hand and Mjolnir flew back from the feet of the monster army and cracked Ma Gasket upside the head. She spun around looking like she was seeing stars and fell on her butt right in front of Percy.

"Don't worry, I'm really not that tasty. Way too much awesome for a nasty old Cyclops like you." Before Ma Gasket could get a response out, Percy brought Mjolnir down like he were hammering a nail, bonking her on the head so hard he heard her skull crack before she dissolved into a rather unattractive pile of monster dust.

Percy looked to his left and saw Jason struggling to hold off the endless assault of monsters. Every monster he reduced to dust, would be replaced by two more. He was starting to lose energy, his strikes getting slower and becoming more defensive.

Percy turned away from another furious looking Cyclops and sprinted towards his friend. As he ran, he saw a shield lying unused a dozen feet away from his friend. Without considering the wisdom of the move he threw himself forward, landing on his knees on the inside of the shield and using it like a sled, sliding very quickly towards his friend.

"Live from New York!" He yelled over the sounds of battle trying to do his best Saturday Night Live intro, "Well, it's not Saturday night but more like Wednesday morning!" He slid right into the legs of an Empousa, hitting it in the bronze leg and taking it and the three monsters behind it out as his impromptu ride ended with him at the bottom of a pig pile of enraged monsters.

The monsters clawed at him but his invulnerable skin kept him safe. He managed to squirm away a bit before kicking the Empousa he had hit right in the teeth with a well-placed kick, using it to propel himself into a reverse somersault, giving him some breathing room and putting him back on his feet.

"Wooooo!" He grinned as he stood beside Jason. "That was fun!"

"Gods Percy," Jason grumbled parrying a demigod sword and kicking the teen back. "How are you having fun right now?"

"Dude," Percy grinned as he juked out of the way of a Dracaena spear and cut the weapon in half and sliced his blade across the monster's chest. "I'm in my city, kicking monster ass with one of my best friends and nearly dying every few seconds. Does it get any better than this?"

In his mind, Jason could think of a few other scenarios that he would deem more fun than their current one but he couldn't stop himself from grinning in the midst of battle, "Alright, you make a fair point."

The two demigods had wedged themselves between a pair of overturned vehicles and forced the monsters to come at them from only one angle. Together, took on everything the Titan Army had. Wave after wave of monsters and enemy demigods tried and failed to push through the duo. Jason would call down lightning occasionally when the monsters began to overwhelm them while Percy stuck with only his swordsmanship, his years of training giving him the energy to keep up the seemingly endless battle.

Eventually, a Cyclops, apparently one of the more intelligent ones, realized that they were allowing the demigods to make them fight on their terms. He barreled into one of the cars, pushing it aside and freeing up valuable space for the monsters to attack from.

Percy and Jason were forced to retreat.

"So, this brilliant plan of yours," Jason muttered backtracking and defending himself as they began to run out of bridge. "Did it perhaps have an escape plan for us?"

Percy ducked under a demigod blade, sliced Anaklusmos across the teen's thighs and smashed him in the chin with his helm as he straightened up right into the hunched over and wincing half-blood.

"Escape plan?" Percy mused as if they weren't in a fight for their lives. "I had the attack plan, I thought you would handle the escape."

"So," Jason deadpanned, "we're dead." He locked his sword with the spear of a monster, twisted his blade and sent the weapon flying. He thrust his golden blade into the monsters exposed stomach and sent her on a quick trip to the pit.

"Oh, ye have such little faith." Percy said disapprovingly. "Have I ever led you into a life and death situation?"

Jason froze and almost got skewered by a demigod javelin, barely raising his blade to parry the strike and kick the demigod back into the legs of a couple monsters.

"Multiple actually, if I remember right."

Percy laughed andsummoned Mjolnir which was still sitting on the ground in the middle of the enemy forces, a pair of Laistrygonian Giants desperately trying to pick it up. At his command, the mighty hammer flew back to him, carving a path through the enemy and cracking an enemy demigod who was about to attack in the back of the head. The half-blood did an unplanned nose dive into the pavement and didn't get up.

"Woah," Percy said as the hammer returned to a bracelet on his wrist. "Can't be leaving without my baby."

"Dude," Jason called backtracking quickly from a Cyclops club.

Before Percy had a chance to answer, cries of pain rang out from the front lines of the Titan Army. Monsters dissolved into dust and enemy demigods dropped, arrows sticking out from their armor in numerous places.

Silver arrows to be exact.

"Hunters!" A voice cried out from behind Jason and Percy and another wave of silver arrows flew alarmingly close to their heads but missed and cut down another line of the enemy.

Another voice spoke up behind the duo, "Hephaestus campers, give them a Greek gift."

This time, Percy had enough sense to pull Jason down with him to the ground as a number of vials that glowed green soared over their heads and hit the ground between them and the Titan Army. The pavement exploded into a roaring inferno and fire… Greek fire.

Jason and Percy both scrambled back as a wave of heat hit them. Before they got far, a pair of hands grabbed them both under the arms and pulled them back to behind the vehicles. There waiting, was a trio of SUV's that they were both shoved inside. A moment later, more people filed in and the vehicles sped off away from the bridge and into the island of Manhattan, towards the Empire State Building.

Percy looked around to see he was surrounded by hunters, the car was being driven by a girl with dark hair and a silver circlet on her head.

Zoë.

Sitting shotgun, a girl who also had dark hair, but hers was spiky and her dark clothing gave away her identity rather easily.

Thalia.

"Well, that was fun." Percy grinned looking at Jason who looked rather funny with singed eyebrows and eyelashes.

"Dude, we were about to be overrun!"

Percy just shrugged his shoulders, "So little faith bro. I knew the hunters and especially Thalia were not going to leave us out there to die. You are her baby brother you know."

Thalia chuckled from the passenger seat, "Yes, I suppose I had to come save his butt before you dragged into more than you two idiots could handle."

"And," Zoë added, "As much as it pains me to say, we could not let you die Percy. It seems as though we need you."

Percy wiped a fake tear from his eye, "That," he choked back a mock sob, "has got to be the sweetest thing a huntress has ever said to a boy."

A number of the huntresses tried to stifle laughs but more than a few escaped as they realized he might have been right.

Zoë looked back through the rearview mirror and rolled her eyes, "I see your time as a son of Venus had some prolonged side effects."

"Alright," Jason interrupted. "What's going on with the battle, where are we going?"

The effect of his words was instant. Everyone in the car sobered immediately and their expressions darkened.

"We've had to fall back. The Titan Army is pushing us back, we're only a few blocks from the Empire State Building. Without the entrances to force them into narrow quarters, we can't hold them back much longer. It was hard enough just to get away from the battle to come and get you two. Zoë must have run over a dozen monsters on the way here." Thalia explained somberly.

Percy ran a hand threw his hair. It was damp with sweat; the effort of the battle to hold off the army had been taxing. He felt like he was already at his limits only to find out now, things were only going to get worse. Not even the mighty Mjolnir would be enough to hold back an army. He cursed in his mind, wondering if his father hadn't made a mistake in leaving it for him. He was nothing special. All he had done was bring all his friends across the country so they could die beside the Greeks. He couldn't hold back an army. And even if he did, how was he supposed to defeat Hel. Back at Camp Jupiter, she had merely toyed with him, not a hint of fear in her eyes when they met.

Yeah, he was supposed to save the day. He thought wryly. He was a poor excuse for as Asgardian. His thoughts soon changed from ones of dismay to ones of anger. Why the Hel was it his job to fight Hel? This was a job for a god, not demigod with a weapon too powerful for him to wield. He could never do the things the Valkyries had told him about.

His father could destroy mountains with Mjolnir.

He barely destroyed a bridge and that made him want to pass out from exhaustion.

He never let on but after that moment, he felt weaker than he had ever felt in his life. He barely had had the strength to pull himself out of that river.

Suddenly Zoë slammed on the brakes of the SUV forcing the trailing vehicles to swerve aside to avoid a collision.

"Damn it." Thalia growled. "We'll never get through."

Percy peered ahead and saw what they meant. A wall of monsters stood in front of them, their backs still turned as they were too focused on pushing forward than paying attention to what was behind them.

"Bacraut," Percy muttered looking at the roof of the vehicle. It looked strange to his friends but his eyes were not talking to the roof. They were imagining a much higher place, where he guessed several immortals were watching the destruction of Midgard and sitting on their asses instead of finding a way down here to help.

"What?" Jason asked. He looked at his friend with confusion but Percy didn't reply. Instead, he opened the door of the vehicle and tried to climb out when Jason grabbed him.

"Hey man, what are you doing?"

Percy shook his arm free but tried to do it gently. He wasn't angry with Jason. He really wasn't even angry at his father or the other gods. He was mad at Hel and for the absolutely shitty situation he found himself in.

"I'm going to clear a path." He looked at Zoë. "You'll know when to make a run for it."

She looked at him and her dark eyes shined with concern. Despite her jokes, she cared for her friend, male or not.

"No way. Not alone anyway." Jason interrupted. "I'm going with you." He tried to follow Percy out but a firm hand to his chest stopped him in his tracks.

"No, you'll get ripped to shreds. Stay in the car, I'll be fine."

"You'll die," Zoë said looking very upset but trying not to show it.

"I'm invulnerable. It's time to put that to good use." Percy countered. "I will survive but I won't be able to keep them occupied long. Just make sure you don't miss you window. Get everyone to the other side, I'll meet you there, I promise."

Zoë bit her lip and Jason still looked adamant that he was not letting Percy go alone. Before they could object again, Percy unsheathed Anaklusmos and held it out to Zoë.

"Just in case. This blade does not belong in the hands of a monster."

Zoë put her hand on the hilt but didn't pull it away, "I will hold it for you but it was a gift. Long ago, I gave it to a male I thought I could trust. Now I am sure I have given it to the right person. You will make it back to reclaim it, Anaklusmos belongs to you now Perseus."

The sword began to glow and started to shrink. A moment later, Zoë held a hairpin in the palm of her hand making a number of people looked shocked, even some of the hunters.

"Thank you." Percy said softly. Before Jason could protest, he jumped shut the car door. Instead of running towards the monsters, he sprinted down a side alley and vanished in the darkness of the unlit side road.

"That cowardly boy!" A huntress sneered from the back of the SUV.

Sparks jumped off Jason's skin and he turned to snap at the huntress but Zoë cut her off.

"Silence Genovese!" Zoë growled as her dark eyes turned to the back of the vehicle. "You are more than welcome to dislike him because he is a boy but that boy does not have a cowardly bone in his body."

The huntress looked appalled and was about to retort but the look on Zoë's face silenced her quickly.

"That cowardly boy saved me from a fate worse than death when he was but a mere child. That coward fought a Titan to and saved my life, Thalia's life, and freed our mistress for no other reason than it was the right thing to do. That coward fell into Tartarus so that a friend would not have to face it alone." Zoë's face was red at this point but she collected herself and calmed her voice. "You are my sister and I would die for you. But he has earned the respect of Artemis and my friendship. Insult him again in my presence and thou shall not like the results."

The huntresses in the car shifted nervously. Zoë had worked hard over the past decade to learn the modern tongue and only spoke in old English when she was truly furious.

The huntress sunk back into the seat and wisely did not speak again.

The car fell into a tense silence. It wasn't so much from Zoë's outburst but more in anticipation. They knew Percy did not run away but as the moments passed agonizingly slowly, they became more and more aware of how close they were to the monster army.

Suddenly a loud crash was heard in the car. They all looked to find glass shattering out of a third story window of a building right next to the monster's right flank.

Most of the car gasped as the glass shard hit the ground followed closely by a dark shape. Right as it was about to hit the ground, a huge bolt of lightning dropped the sky, obliterating small circle in the middle of the monsters' ranks. In the center of the circle, a figure draped in Greek armor with a blue plume sticking up from the helm was crouched. Before the monsters could recover from their shock, Percy sprang to his feet, Mjolnir in his hand as he sent a powerful uppercut into the jaw of a looming Hellhound, sending it flying into a group of monsters before the hound dissolved.

"That idiot." Zoë cursed but her eyes were locked on the young demigod looking at him with worry.

"Get ready," Thalia warned. "He knows what he's doing."

Jason was in a bit of awe. He had no idea how Percy had the energy to fight like he was. Jason was wiped out and barely survived their last battle but here Percy was, risking his life so they could make it back to the other demigods desperately trying to hold the Titan Army from reaching Olympus.

Percy fought like demon. His movements were so fast, the monsters were overwhelmed. He moved from one monster to another, smashing them with Mjolnir as lightning continued to rain down from the heavens. A Cyclops grabbed him by the throat and but Mjolnir came up with such ferocity that Jason could hear the monster's bones snap all the way in the car. Percy turned and hurled Mjolnir into a Dracaena with such force it sent her flying into a half dozen monsters before she burst into dust.

With the reflexes of a cat, Percy unsheathed the daggers strapped to both his thighs and thrust them into the chest of the whimpering Cyclops with the broken arm. Then Percy spun around, jamming his blade into the shoulder of an enemy demigod and caught Mjolnir as it flew back to him. He turned and hurled it into another monster's chest as he grabbed his dagger and sliced the other across the demigod's neck. Blood shot from the half-blood's severed artery before Percy kicked him into the legs of a couple of his comrades.

Progressively, Percy had fought his way to the other side of the street, the Titan Army following, all trying to get a shot at the Norse demigod.

"NOW!" Thalia yelled and Zoë instinctively slammed her foot on the gas. The SUV lurched forward and hit a thin line of monsters before breaking free and down the street. The other demigods soon came into view and Zoë didn't slow down. She used her vehicle like a battering ram, clearing a path to the others as the windshield wipers worked frantically to clear the windshield of monster dust.

Their murderous ride had given the demigods time to regroup and fall back a bit as Zoë's and the other two SUV's skidded to a stop, emptying the riders and providing a wall of protection for the demigods to use.

They all scrambled to reform their lines and prepare for the next assault. To their utter shock, none came. The demigods were down to less than two hundred assorted Romans, Greeks and Hunters. The wounded had been pulled inside the building and were starting to evacuate to Olympus as the Titan Army closed in on them.

Zoë looked around nervously. The lack of attack sent a chill down her spine. She knew it was not the sign of anything good.

Then she saw it.

Huge purple and black banners with a scythe emblazoned on them could be seen from a quarter mile away. The banner of the Titan Lord Kronos were carried on both sides of a golden chariot by Hyperborean Giants as they made their way down the street towards them. Zoë looked for Percy but couldn't see anything. No signs of fighting could be seen and the streets were eerily silent. Only the nervous murmurs of the demigods found their way to Zoë's ears.

They all waited nervously. The Titan took his time approaching. His appearance was not all that intimidating since he was currently in the body of the demigod Luke Castellan. Not intimidating save for the golden eyes that swept across the defenses of Olympus, a cruel smile spreading across the Titan's face as he knew they were beaten.

After what seemed like hours but was more likely just a few minutes, the golden chariot came to a stop fifteen feet in front of them. The Titan stepped off and smiled at the demigods, though, his smile was full of nothing but an evil satisfaction at seeing them so close to defeat.

"Surrender now and swear your allegiance to me and I shall spare," he paused as his smile grew a bit, "some of you."

No one moved. The fear coming off the demigods was nearly palpable but they swallowed that down and stood tall, refusing to give him the satisfaction of watching them grovel at his feet for mercy.

Kronos seemed pleased by this, "Still hoping for a miracle? I believe that hope is but a foolish dream."

Kronos snapped his fingers and the army's lines parted. Zoë felt her stomach drop when she saw what made its way forward.

Percy was being dragged by a pair of Laistrygonian Giants. They seemed to be holding him up as they made their way forward. His feet dragged on the ground and Mjolnir hung limply from the strap on his wrist. Though he had no visible injuries, it was clear he had taken a beating. His armor was dented and broken in numerous places. His clothes were ripped and his helm was tilted sideways on his head, the horsehair plume appearing to have been cleaved off at some point during.

"Percy," a voice gasped from behind Zoë. Behind her, a girl in Roman armor stepped forward, her face horror struck as she looked at Percy who seemed barely conscious.

Reyna, Zoë remembered. The look on her was one of near tears as she looked at him.

"Here is your hero. Your secret weapon you foolishly thought was enough to stop me and my army!" Kronos yelled as the Titan Army erupted into cheers. "Bring him forward, I wish to see this supposed threat to me."

The Laistrygonian Giants threw him at the feet of the Titan. Percy fell hard onto the unforgiving pavement. He managed to get on his hands and knees as he looked up at the Titan through narrowed eyes.

"The great Perseus Jackson! The son of Thor and savior of the demigods and Olympus!" Kronos yelled as jeers and insults were shouted throughout the enemy army.

Zoë felt a strong desire to run to help him but she didn't knowing it would be suicide.

"Now boy," Kronos smiled sadistically. "Hand over your weapon and swear your life to my service. You will be a valuable asset to me when I rule this world again."

Percy slowly looked up from the ground. He did not respond, just glaring at the Titan before he suddenly spit right into the face of the Titan Lord. The enemy army surged forward to attack him when Kronos held up his hand, stopping them in their tracks. He wiped the spit from his face but remarkably, he just smiled.

"Such spirit in this one. If only it had been you who became my vessel. Alas, it matters not; you'll be dead in a moment followed shortly by the rest of you demigods." Kronos sneered.

Percy tried to stand up but stumbled and fell. Kronos laughed and kicked him in the side, rolling him onto his back where he pinned him down with a foot to the chest.

A scythe appeared in his hands and Kronos looked down at Percy with satisfaction.

"Any last words son of Thor? "


	32. Words of the Hearth

Ch. 32

Reyna tried to run at the Titan but Kronos suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing and she froze in her place.

"Now, now," he chided as Reyna struggled to move but remained frozen in time. "None of that girl. The rest of you will die soon enough but this one gets my personal attention."

He smiled sadistically and raised his scythe to kill Percy when a murmuring rose up from the monster army. Kronos turned as the monsters parted in the middle and a dark figure strode down the aisle between them. The monsters hissed and recoiled as the figure radiated power and death, causing the bravest in the Titan Army to try and slink away from her.

Kronos' eyes flashed with anger as he saw the figure.

"I don't think that was part of our arrangement, my lord." A feminine voice said coldly as Hel approached the Titan hovering over Percy's pinned body. "The boy belongs to me."

"This does not concern you goddess. You said you're monster would destroy the boy and you failed. I am doing what you are apparently incapable of. Now know you place and fall back beside the lesser beings in my army." Kronos' voice was full of contempt as he looked murderous at being questioned in front of his army and the army of demigods in front of Olympus.

Hel stopped a few feet away from him and looked down at Percy, an amused smile gracing her ghoulish face.

"My place?" She asked calmly. Her face showed no fear as she stood before the Titan Lord. "I'm afraid my place is where I say it is. I had thought I would let you continue your little childish vendetta to destroy those meager Olympians who so easily dethroned you eons ago but it appears you've let your arrogance annoy me. That is something you will soon regret son of Uranus."

Kronos' face turned a purplish shade of red as he removed his foot from Percy's chest and turned to face the Norse goddess.

"You foolish goddess," he growled. "I am a Titan, you are a mere goddess. You will bow down before I strike you down."

Hel just stood before the Titan. Her face was a mask of indifference. She didn't even seem to acknowledge the fact that she stood before the most powerful Titan in existence. No fear, no nervousness, nothing. Then again, half her face was skeletal so determining her moods was not exactly easy.

The tension in the street was so thick it could be felt by both demigod and monster alike. The two powerful beings stood only a few feet apart but both seemed to be waiting for the other to waver. After a minute, Hel just smiled at him, "Such arrogance you Titans have, it is no wonder you were destroyed by your children. You should know that I am not one of your children, you have no idea the things I can do."

Kronos' eyes flashed again and he raised his scythe, "I am immortal. I have escaped Tartarus, I cannot be killed."

A low growl was heard from behind the Titan as a giant hound materialized out of nothingness. Before Kronos could even turn, the monster lunged, knocking him into the pavement. Kronos bellowed and a light erupted from the Titan, blasting Garmr into the crowd of monsters. Just as the Titan made to stand, he suddenly froze in his spot, a look of genuine fear on his face.

Hel stood beside the Titan but held a spear in her hand, the tip placed on the Titan's side in a place just under his armpit. Armor covered the spot but it would not be a challenge for a goddess to pierce it and reach the skin underneath.

"So foolish," Hel chided. "I was the one who prepared the boy to host you. I told him where to bind himself to his mortality."

"Attack her!" Kronos bellowed to his minions but no monster or demigod moved an inch. A look from the Norse goddess, her skeletal face daring them to try, kept them rooted in their spots.

"This army belongs to me now Titan. Now, what did you say to my dearest mortal cousin? Any last words?"

Before Kronos had a chance to respond, Hel thrust the spear through his armor, piercing the body of the Titan just under the pit of his arm.

Kronos bellowed in pain but his voice was a mixture of his and the son of Hermes whom he was possessing. The ground shook at their feet and Kronos began to glow, an ethereal golden light shining from his body and growing brighter by the second.

"NO!" A voice cried from the line of demigods. A blonde girl with tears in her startling grey eyes tried to run forward but was held back by a number of similar looking demigods, her siblings.

An explosion of light erupted from the body of the Titan forcing everyone with the exception of Hel to shield their eyes in fear of being blinded. When it vanished, the ground was blackened in a wide circle surrounding his body. Kronos' eyes snapped open but they were no longer gold. They were now blue and filled with surprise, shock and then fear when he looked at the woman standing above him.

Luke Castellan was back in control… For better or worse.

Hel gave him a ghoulish looking grin before she raised the spear again and thrust it into his chest, snapping the tip off once it was deeply imbedded in his body. The demigod didn't even have time to plead for mercy before being ruthlessly impaled. Luke cried out in pain but was silenced as the tip of the weapon hit his heart.

Hel watched with sickening satisfaction as the life left his eyes before she turned to the demigods, all looking awestruck at what they had just seen. The Titan Lord, their greatest threat had been destroyed by this horrifying Norse goddess whom only a few even knew about.

Hel looked at them and her freakish looking face smiled at the fear in their eyes.

"Yes, that is very smart of you half-bloods. You have good reason to be spared."

Despite their fear, the Romans, Greeks and Hunters standing at the foot of the Empire State Building readied their weapons, prepared to defend it with to their final breaths.

Hel threw back her head and laughed at their show of bravery. "You can rejoice demigods. The Titan King has bought you time. I will return on the morrow and end this pathetic age of the gods. If any of you have any sense, you will flee. Resist me and you will meet the fate of the Titan."

Hel turned her attention from the demigod in defending Olympus to the one trying to get to his feet beside her. He got to his knees when she caught his attention. His hand immediately opened and Mjolnir appeared ready to fight with whatever strength he had left.

"Not yet, Perseus Jackson," Hel said. "The time of our battle draws near but I will not destroy you in this weakened state. Your fate was written long ago to meet me in this spot. I will only face you at your best."

Percy tried to stand but staggered a little and settled for a knee. Before he could speak, Hel continued.

"Take this time to speak to those you love, son of Thor. This will be your final chance. It is only in my infinite mercy that I give you this chance. You would be a fool to waste it. Tomorrow will be your final in the world of the living."

Hel turned to the Titan Army and gave them with a steely look as if daring one of them to defy her. "Retreat back to your bases. Tomorrow you march on Olympus."

The monsters and demigods shifted nervously but another look from the goddess sent them into a hasty retreat. Hel glanced down at Percy who was still on a knee and looking ready to pass out at any moment.

"Fate cannot be escaped Perseus Jackson. I was forced into mine just as you yours. Your death is merely a part of my destiny just as fighting me is yours. Rest, you will need your strength when we meet again." Hel said ominously before shimmering out of existence and leaving Percy looking bruised and battered but also perplexed by her final words.

Reyna and Jason both ran up to Percy who remained on a knee, staring at the spot Hel had vanished from with a faraway look in his eyes.

"Percy!" Reyna said kneeling in front of him with a worried look, "Are you okay?"

Percy met her gaze and slowly nodded before going into a coughing fit and doubling over. Jason grabbed him and held him up. When Percy looked up again, blood covered his mouth, staining his teeth a sickening crimson color.

"Gods," Reyna gasped. "Percy, what happened?"

He wiped his mouth and spit out some of the blood that had collected in his mouth, "Apparently invulnerable does not cover your internal organs. Being used for batting practice by a group of Laistrygonians is not something I'd ever like to experience again."

"Come on," Jason said trying to pull him to his feet. "We've got to get you to the medics."

Percy pulled his arm away and shook his head, "I'm fine, really."

Jason was about to protest but Reyna gave him a look that told him that she would handle it. She helped Percy to his feet and led him towards the Empire State Building. They didn't speak. Reyna could tell his mind was preoccupied with the events that had just transpired at the doors of the Empire State Building and undoubtedly the words of Hel.

They walked inside and straight to the Elevator. The security guard post was vacant and the keycard was left in the elevator as the wounded had been brought up over the past few hours. Percy pressed the button for the 600th floor and slumped against the wall of the lift. He coughed a bit and more blood filled his mouth. He ignored the metallic taste and wiped his lips as the elevator dinged signaling their arrival.

When the elevator doors opened, Reyna involuntarily gasped when she laid eyes on the city of Olympus.

Despite his pain, Percy gave her a smile but his blood stained teeth wiped the smile from Reyna's face quickly.

"First time on Olympus?"

Reyna nodded slowly, "I never thought I'd ever set foot here. It's… It's so beautiful."

Percy smiled again and grabbed her hand as he led her across the small bridge that connected Olympus to the world below. She gripped his hand tightly as she risked a glance over the side, something she immediately regretted.

"I wouldn't recommend falling. I don't think I have the energy to control a leaf, let alone two bodies if I have to jump after you."

Reyna ignored his words and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. A few nerve racking seconds later, they reached the outskirts of the city; but what she saw was not what she expected. It was a ghost town. Not a single being stirred. The windows of every building were shut tight, as if the city were preparing for a big storm.

"Where is everybody?" Reyna asked looking around confused. "I thought Olympus would be filled with gods, nature spirits and other immortals."

"Hiding," Percy replied, "They are hoping the demigods and gods will save the day so they can go back to their insignificant immortal lives, cowards." His tone was bitter and Reyna decided not to say anything about it.

They walked past the encampment of demigods who were wounded. Medics, both Greek and Roman, buzzed around trying to do everything they could with limited resources. Reyna stopped by a couple of Apollo legionnaires from the First Cohort but Percy just kept walking. She frowned and chased after him.

"Hey, what are you doing? You need some Ambrosia and Nectar. Those injuries aren't going to heal themselves."

Percy kept walking as they neared the massive throne room of the gods. Reyna looked at him nervously but he seemed like he was in his own little world.

"Percy, we shouldn't." She warned. "I don't think it's a good idea to walk into the throne room without the gods in there."

Percy didn't even acknowledge her words. He walked up the stairs and Reyna grudgingly followed hoping they wouldn't walk in on some immortal and get blasted to dust.

Percy pushed the doors of the throne room open and stepped inside. The room was eerily quiet. The light crackling of the hearth fire in the center of the room was the only noise. The fire was down to its embers but the light from it cast eerie shadows of the giant thrones in the room. Percy kept walking. He made his way closer to the fire before he suddenly stopped. Mjolnir appeared in his hand as he tensed as if preparing for a fight.

Suddenly, a small child materialized by the fire. She wore a brown cloak and poked at the coals of the hearth, trying to keep it going.

"Perseus Jackson," the girl said not taking her eyes from the fire. "I see you have finally made it to our hearth. I welcome you, son of Thor."

"Vesta," Reyna said in awe before immediately dropping into a bow. Percy stayed in his spot, standing a few feet away from the goddess. He kept his hand tightly wrapped around Mjolnir but his body seemed to relax a little being in the presence of the hearth goddess.

"Percy bow!" Reyna whispered to him, hoping he would not anger the goddess with his disrespect.

"I don't expect that is something he has any plans of doing my dear. I think after his last encounter in this room, he has little good will towards us gods." The goddess said. Her tone was kind, almost with a bit of humor in her voice as she spoke. "And it's Hestia, my dear. Let's not get into the Roman/Greek thing right now, I'm getting a headache just thinking about it." Hestia said softly.

"What do you want from me?" Percy asked suspiciously. "I felt the urge to come here and I can only guess that was you're doing."

Hestia slowly stood up and faced Percy and Reyna who had stood up again. She was tiny, no older than eight years old and she looked tired as if the days were wearing on her small frame.

"Many feel the same calling in times of turmoil. You seek home but I believe that word brings conflict to you, does it not?"

Percy looked into the eyes of the goddess and found they were full of flames. Not the destructive kind but more the gentle kind, like those of the hearth she tended here on Olympus. She glanced down at Mjolnir and frowned slightly.

"I mean you no ill-will Perseus. You have no need for a weapon in my presence."

Percy glanced down at the weapon before it glowed and disappeared into a bracelet. He still didn't speak, busy thinking about the words of Hestia.

Home was a conflicted word when it came to him. He never really had one; not a true one anyway. He was a part of a world that no longer existed on Midgard. His people were gone, him the last of his kind, left behind to fulfill a destiny that was becoming more and more impossible. But home also brought thoughts of Camp Jupiter and the friends he had made there; Cassie, Frank, Jason and Reyna.

He was stuck between both worlds, unsure of which one he belonged to. He looked up and found Hestia looking at him sadly. Without a word, she walked up to him and placed her hands on his cheeks. Her hands glowed with a soft orange light and Percy felt a warming sensation move from his face then throughout his body. When the goddess stepped back, the pain in his chest and stomach were gone. He looked at her in awe and confusion to which she only smiled.

"You may not be sure where yours is, but you will always find comfort and help at my hearth when you are in need. You are a special person Perseus Jackson. You were left a great burden at too young an age. You were forced to grow up too soon and were given the burden of a hero's life. I cannot tell you what you want to know. That is something you must discover on your own, in your own time." Hestia looked at him with such kindness Percy felt the indescribable urge to hug the goddess.

Hestia smiled at him again and put a hand to his cheek, "Sit by my hearth and rest. The answers you seek are just waiting to be found. You will have the greatest challenge of your life tomorrow; you should figure the answers out before you face it." She let go of his cheek and stepped back and into the hearth where she dissolved into smoke and vanished from the throne room.

When Hestia was gone, Percy and Reyna were once again standing in the middle of the rows of thrones. The hearth fire still crackled but seemed to have a little more life to it than before. It was as if the conversation with Hestia had perked up the entire room around them.

Percy felt like the fire. The previous feelings of hopelessness and despair were not as strong. His body appeared to be completely healed; another thing that lifted his spirits. He thought about the goddess' words and frowned at the cryptic and ominous words she had spoken.

Why did gods never just give the answer you sought? He thought frustrated.

They seemed to enjoy beating around the bush and then vanishing to leave you to contemplate their words.

Without another word, Percy held his hand out to Reyna. She took it and he sat down, pulling her down with him. He laced their fingers together and stared into the fire thinking about what Hestia had said and enjoying what could be his final chance for a happy and peaceful moment. He smiled slightly as he realized he was spending it with the exact person he wanted to share it with if it were to be his last.


	33. Calm Before the Storm

Ch. 33

Percy looked down into his lap where he found a mess of dark hair strewn haphazardly across his legs. Reyna had fallen asleep after an hour of sitting peacefully by the throne room hearth. Her head rested on his legs using them as a makeshift pillow, forcing him to remain sitting up, but he didn't mind. He doubted he was going to get any sleep after the day he had just had anyway. His mind was too heavily weighed by the events of the past day and what was to come in the next.

It was finally here. Tomorrow he would stand against the goddess Hel in a battle that had apparently been awaiting him since the day of his birth.

As much as he hated himself for it, he couldn't deny that he was scared.

In his defense, how could he not be? Hel had destroyed Kronos with an unsettling amount of ease and now he was supposed to fight her and somehow win?

Oh, and if he lost, the world would end…Yup, no pressure or anything.

He was sixteen for Odin's sake! Why was this his responsibility? He was supposed to be worried about school and girls. Hel, he just lost his virginity for the love of Freya! This was supposed to be the best time of his life, not the almost certain end!

"Can I get you some cheese with that whine?" A female voice spoke from behind him.

He tried to jump up but two strong hands held him down. He turned and nearly yelped when he saw Brynhildr and Sigrún holding him down.

"Did we not teach you any manners boy?" Brynhildr chided. "Let the girl have her rest."

Eir walked up beside them and raised her hand. Reyna's body floated up as Percy slipped out from underneath her. A pillow materialized where his legs had been as Reyna's body descended back to the ground, her head landing softly on the pillow.

Eir whispered something over Reyna and her body glowed slightly before the light vanished and she continued to slumber in peace.

"There, now we will not wake her. She will have a long day tomorrow as well." Eir said simply before turning to Percy and the two other Valkyries.

No one spoke for a second as Percy wasn't exactly sure what to say. He hadn't seen them in weeks and now they appear in the throne room of Olympus the night before he was supposed to do the impossible. After a minute though, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Where the Hel have you three been? I've been to Tartarus and back and not a single word?" He hissed, his anger bubbling up quickly. "You can't stop by and say, hey Percy, glad to see you're not dead?"

Brynhildr narrowed her eyes a bit but held her tongue. Eir gave him a small look of sympathy while Sigrún's face was stoic.

"What were you expecting, a welcome home party for escaping Tartarus?" Sigrún raised an eyebrow as she spoke. "We have spent your entire life preparing you for the past month. I think the fact that both you and the girl are still alive is testament enough to our success."

Percy's mouth opened but he shut it just as quickly after the cold response from one of the women that raised him. He sometimes forgot that they really were not his mothers but instead ordered to train him by the All-Father himself. It was their duty to train him, not love him. Considering they were the closest thing to a family he had, it was a difficult fact to remember at times.

His expression hardened and he bowed his head.

"You're right. I was out of line to say that."

Sigrún tilted her head as she looked down at him. She had always been the hardest to figure out. The three Valkyries were the three people he knew best in the world but they were so different and their relationships with Percy had always been so different from one another that it was hard to tell what he should and shouldn't say and do at times.

Brynhildr had always been a hard ass but could also be playful at times. She pushed him harder than anyone and often went beyond his limits. She had been responsible for more than a few injuries of his growing up. Percy always thought she was more like an older sister who liked to push him around than anything else. Not in the bullying way but just in that that was her way to toughen him up, knowing it was best for him. Whenever she smiled, it was more cynical than anything else. But she often would have pride in her eyes when he accomplished something that someone his age had no business doing.

Eir was the sweetheart out of the trio. Percy had always imagined his mother was somewhat like her; tough when she needed to be but spent more time smiling than anything else. He always thought they had a special connection as he grew up, she was by far the most motherly of the trio, at times getting upset with the others when they pushed him too hard and being the one person who actually seemed to care what was going with him outside of him training as he grew up.

Sigrún was the wildcard. She was always very businesslike when she spoke but she undoubtedly taught him the most in his training. She knew exactly how far to push him and what his limits were. She was easily the most intimidating as well; her looks of disapproval were far worse than getting chewed out by Brynhildr when he did something wrong.

As Percy glanced at the floor, waiting for one of them to speak, he felt two hands cup his cheeks. The touch was gentle and he looked up expecting Eir only to feel his stomach drop when Sigrún was holding his face in her hands. She leaned down and kissed him softly on the forehead making Percy almost stumble back in shock and disbelief at what she had done. She had never shown him any kind of affection as he grew up.

He wasn't sure whether he should hug her or back away quickly until he figured out what was going.

"What foolish thoughts have you put in your head boy? You think we do not help you because we don't want to?" She said softly as she looked into his electric blue eyes, the yellow sclera giving them a look unlike any other in the world.

Percy tried to say something but no words came to mind. He honestly was not sure what to say. Hel, he wasn't even sure what he thought about the question.

Sigrún gave him a smile he had never seen on her face before. It was a mixture of amusement and sympathy.

"It is not our place to fight your battles for you. We are not mortals or gods. We are Valkyries and our place is not with the living. We have our own laws that we must abide by, most of which we have broken to raise and train you ourselves, but there are some not even we can break."

Percy looked down again though the Valkyrie still held his face in her hands, feeling guilty at lashing out at them for not jumping in to save him every time he ran into trouble. He hadn't actually been expecting help, maybe just a hello and a pat on the back for making it through Tartarus but even so, it was wrong to lash out at them on first contact in months.

"But given the chance," she continued, "we would lay down our immortal lives to protect you. Not because the All-Father has asked us to protect you but because your life means more to us than our own. In my thousands of years, I have never and neither have my sisters, known a greater joy than watching you grow from a little baby who could not stand on his own into the strong and proud Asgardian before us. In our millennia long existence, we have had no greater accomplishment or known more joy than raising you as if you were our own."

Percy stared into her dark brown eyes, unsure of what to even say. He never in his life thought he would hear these words from any of their mouths, let alone Sigrún's. Not only did he not know they felt this way but emotion was not really their fortes. Hearing this, he wasn't even sure how to process the words he was hearing.

Finally, he swallowed the lump in his throat and controlled his emotions which had him dangerously close to tears, though he refused to admit that even to himself.

"A demigod could not have been blessed to be raised by better mothers." He choked out though he had to swallow again midway to keep his voice from cracking. "I will make the three of you proud tomorrow. I will send Hel back where she belongs, no matter what it takes."

Sigrún's smile was a sad one, "We know that Perseus. Never for a moment did we doubt you would do anything else. You are the definition of a hero, a son who does his father greater honor than any others. We came tonight because we wanted to see you before the final battle."

Percy looked to see both Brynhildr and Eir standing next to Sigrún who had finally let go of his face. Their faces were a myriad of emotions but pride and sadness were the most predominant and Percy knew what this really was.

It was goodbye.

"Never lose hope Perseus," Brynhildr said seriously. "You carry the spirit of all of Asgard with you." A vortex opened behind the Valkyries and Brynhildr gave him a genuine smile before stepping through it. Eir planted a kiss on his cheek before she too vanished behind into the vortex. Sigrún leaned down and whispered into Percy's ear. His eyes went a little wide before she pulled back, kissing him on the forehead one last time before she too stepped back and vanished from the throne room of the gods leaving Percy standing alone, Reyna still sleeping peacefully on the floor a few feet away, and a new look of determination and perhaps hope in his eyes as lightning flashed across the irises.

Line Break

Reyna awoke, surprised by the softness she felt under her head. The last thing she remembered was drifting off with her head on Percy's lap. Her eyes shot open and she saw the pillow underneath her face and she lay in the middle of the Olympians' throne room. The sound of metal scraping across the room immediately drew her attention.

Percy was kneeling in front of the throne of Hermes, sparks bounced off the shield he was leaning over, scraping a knife across the celestial bronze as he worked, so focused on his task that he didn't hear her until she was directly behind him.

She looked at the shield with confusion.

"What are you doing?"

Percy looked up from his work and gave her a small smile, "I am putting this old hunk of junk to good use. I found it in Olympus last night and decided I needed a replacement for the one Fenrir ate."

Reyna nodded but still looked slightly confused, "Okay, but what are you doing to it?"

Percy's smile grew a little before he turned back to the shield, "I'm making it better. I'm making it Norse." He gestured to the carvings now inlaid on the shield. "These are runes. They are used for magical purposes by my people. I'm making it more sturdy, feel lighter; pretty much making it awesome."

She looked at it skeptically. It was old and rusted along the edges. Now it had a bunch of strange markings carved into it making it look even less appealing.

Awesome was not the first word that came into her mind.

Percy seemed unfazed by her unimpressed expression. He returned to his work silently for a few more minutes before setting the dagger down by his feet. He stood up and examined the shield with a look of satisfaction on his face.

Reyna followed his gaze still wondering why he seemed so pleased with himself. She didn't want to rain on his parade so she stayed silent.

Percy let out a quiet chuckle, "My gods, that thing is hideous."

She couldn't help but chuckle as well as she looked at his face and then the shield, "I wasn't going to say anything but…"

Before she could finish her sentence, the shield suddenly glowed with an ethereal light. It was so bright, Reyna had to shield her eyes. When the light faded, she moved her hand and gasped at what she saw.

The previously hideous shield was gone. In its place was what had to be the most beautiful piece of weaponry she had ever seen lay at their feet. The once rusted metals were now a mixture of gold, silver and bronze. The runes which had been misshapen and messy were now neatly and beautifully inlaid in silver on the outer edges of the shield. In the middle, two symbols that had previously not been there made Reyna's eyes go a little wide.

A torch, the symbol of Bellona was emblazoned across the front along with an image of Percy's hammer, Mjolnir. The two symbols were crossed with the letters SPQR written in bold letters across the top.

She turned from the shield and looked at Percy who had a slightly smug expression as he admired his handy work.

"How…" She paused when his smile grew, "How did you do this?"

Percy leaned down and picked up the shield, "This could be my final day on this earth. I couldn't die without giving you even one proper gift as a boyfriend. I thought this was more fitting than flowers or jewelry." He held it out to her as she stared at him, unsure of what to even say.

His smile turned into a smirk, "Or you can ignore me and our final moment of peace can be one of silence and awkwardness."

Reyna blushed a little embarrassed before taking the shield from him. At her touch, the shield glowed again before it disappeared from her grasp. A second later, a silver bracelet appeared on her wrist. On it were some of the most beautiful precious stones Reyna had ever seen, making it look a very expensive piece of jewelry. Though jewelry wasn't her style, she couldn't help but smile at how beautiful it looked.

"Well," Percy smiled, "if I was going to get you jewelry, I figured it was better if it could be used both as a piece of weaponry as well as something you could wear if we ever get a chance to go on that second date." He paused long enough to chuckle lightly, "I mean Tartarus was great and all but I think I'd prefer maybe a movie or dinner sometime."

Reyna looked down at her bracelet in slight awe. Instead of saying anything, she turned and put her arms around Percy's neck, pulling him down into a kiss that pleasantly surprised him.

When she pulled back, she glanced down at the bracelet again before looking at Percy questioningly, "How did you do this though?"

He shrugged, "I had some time waiting for you to wake up. I wanted to start the day off on a good note."

She smiled but still looked confused, "But how did you actually make this? The children of Vulcan could not have crafted something like this if they had a week, let alone a night."

His expression became a little mischievous. "Come on Reyna, I can't give away all my secrets. Without the mystery, where's the excitement of dating a Norse demigod?" She gave him a slight glare making him smile. "I have a few hidden talents but the magic did the work, I just knew how to work it. I will show it to you if we survive the day."

Even if it wasn't his intention, the effect of his words was instantaneous. Both he and Reyna took the somber reminder of what they were up against as an end to what had been up until then, a peaceful and happy morning.

"Do you know what's going on down on the street?" Reyna asked as her mind quickly shifted from happy girlfriend to serious battlefield commander.

All the mirth left Percy's startlingly blue eyes, "Hel is marching her army towards Olympus as we speak."

"Why are you just telling me?" Reyna exclaimed, "We need to get down to the battle!"

Percy nodded slowly, "The battle has not yet started. Go and join your cohort. I will be down shortly."

Reyna looked at his skeptically, "Why don't you just come with.." She stopped herself. The look on his face was one of the most somber and serious ones she had ever seen. It was obvious the coming battle was weighing on him heavily. "Are you okay?" She asked after a moment.

His somber expression darkened a bit and his eyes almost seemed to glow in the dim light of the throne room as clouds blocked out the previously shining sun.

"I am ready. Go, we will see each other again before the end, no matter the outcome."

Reyna bit her bottom lip. His sudden mood change made her apprehensive. She stepped forward and placed her lips on his. He returned the kiss just as softly as she gave it before stepping back. He softened just a bit and nodded, "I'll meet you down there, I promise."

She nodded her head and turned, walking out and leaving Percy alone in the Olympian throne room as he began to put on his armor. Had she looked back, she would have seen the fire in the hearth flare up and burn brighter than it had in the weeks leading up to the coming moment when the fate of millions would be decided by the actions of one.


	34. Battle for Midgard Pt.1

Ch. 34

When Reyna reached the ground floor of the Empire State Building, her mind was torturing her as she thought about what she would find when she reached her troops. Unfortunately for the daughter of Bellona, this was not one of those instances where her mind was getting her worked up over nothing.

She reached the entrance and felt her heart drop at what she saw. A ragged group of Greeks, Romans and Hunters were backed up in a small semicircle guarding the doors to the building. Despite the hopelessness of what she saw, she felt pride for not just her soldiers but the Greeks and Hunters as well. Less than fifty who were still able to fight were standing up to an army of thousands. These were true heroes. Soldiers she would feel honored to fight and even die beside on the battlefield.

She slipped into the circle and made her way to the front where Jason, Zoë and Thalia stood defiantly as the army of monsters just stared at them hungrily.

When her friends noticed her, their faces were filled with worry.

"Where is Percy?" Thalia hissed looking behind her for Percy who was nowhere to be seen.

"He's…." Reyna didn't get a chance to respond as the monsters began to stir.

An aisle parted in the middle and the goddess Hel strode towards the front, a smile on her ghoulish face as she looked at the remains of the demigod army. The goddess was tall, a good six feet and her body seemed to shimmer as she walked, constantly shifting from human to skeletal until she stood still. Even her own soldiers shied away from here. Two Laistrygonians flanked the goddess but kept as much distance as they could inside the small aisle. She seemed to radiate a dark and malevolent power that struck fear into demigods and monsters alike.

"Such courage my dear young heroes," she beamed at them in mock admiration. "Fine additions to my kingdom you shall become. I will have to steal you away from that worthless Greek god of the Underworld and take you for my army."

Reyna noticed a small boy a few feet away from her bristle at the goddess' words. He must have been the son of Hades Percy had mentioned. A powerful half-blood to have fighting on their side.

"The only one going to the Underworld is you," Jason growled in response. "I think a one way trip to Tartarus is in order when this is all said and done."

Hel came to a stop about ten feet from where Reyna stood with the others and eyed them with a mixture of amusement and mock sympathy.

"Such bravery in your words, son of Jupiter." She smiled wryly. "But, of course, backing them up is a completely different story. No demigod has the power to stop me. Not all of you together and certainly not you by yourself."

Jason gripped with gladius so tight his knuckles were white. He eyed the goddess with a burning hatred but did not respond. Hel smiled at his look of anger.

She looked like she was about to say something else but stopped herself. She eyed their group for a second before scanning the other demigods before her smile grew even bigger, her half skeletal face making it look anything but beautiful.

"And where is your great savior? I thought I would at least get to enjoy killing my dearest cousin myself after he watched my army kill all his little Greek and Roman friends."

Zoë, Jason and Thalia all glanced at Reyna but she kept her eyes focused on the goddess who had sent both her and Percy to Tartarus. Not one of her favorite memories and not one she planned to let go unavenged.

"Was he really the only one with enough intelligence to get out of my way?" Hel laughed. In response, Reyna drew her gladius and took a step towards the goddess. The two Laistrygonian Giants, which had been flanking the goddess, stepped forward to meet her.

Before they could get very close, a blur of movement above them drew the attention of the two monsters and most of the demigods. In a flash, something dropped from the sky and hit the ground between Reyna and the monsters. It hit in the ground so hard and fast, most of the demigods thought it might have been a god or goddess coming to their aide.

Kneeling in a small crater was a figure draped in armor different than any of the other demigods standing in front of the Empire State Building.

Percy stood up between the two stunned monsters and the stunned group of demigods standing in front of Olympus. "Out of your way?" He asked, his eyes directly on Hel whose smile had vanished and been replaced with a look of determination and maybe just the slightest bit of apprehension. "Why would I do such a thing? I've been waiting for this moment since the day I was born."

The human looking half of the goddess' face turned an ugly shade of red before she turned back to her army of monsters and enemy demigods.

"Destroy these demigods! It is time for Olympus to be razed!"

Mjolnir appeared in Percy's hand as the monsters let out a collective roar. Before they could charge, Hel stepped forward and a spear appeared in her hand. She drove it into the ground unleashing a shock wave of power that knocked every single demigod, Percy included, onto their backs.

"Olympus Jackson!" Hel spat as Percy jumped back to his feet. That is where you shall meet your end. This moment was foreseen centuries ago and I will be happy for fulfill your cursed destiny." The monsters charged the recovering demigods and the streets of New York descended into utter chaos.

Percy stepped towards Hel but the goddess shimmered and vanished from her spot. An agonized shriek from behind him drew Percy's attention as he turned back to the building and saw Hel with a Greek demigod impaled by her spear at the doors of the Empire State Building. She shook the demigod off and drove her spear into the ground again. This time, a crack opened up in the pavement, separating the demigods from the entrance to Olympus. She stepped inside and vanished into the Empire State Building.

A few Romans tried to chase after her but an invisible barrier stopped them from trying to reach the doors. The rest were too busy fending off the monsters to notice that the goddess had slipped into past them and stood unopposed on her way to Olympus.

Percy turned and ducked under the massive club of a Cyclops. He spun around and caught the monster in the side of the knee with Mjolnir, dropping it to the ground with a sickening crack of his knee. Before Percy could finish it off, a spear was thrust into the monster's head, sending it on a one way trip to Tartarus.

Percy looked up and had to blink to make sure he was seeing correctly. Sigrún shook the monster dust off the end of her weapon, the look on her face was mixture of excitement and satisfaction.

"W…What are you doing here?" He asked in disbelief. Behind Sigrún were Eir and Brynhildr, both wielding spear and shield as they fended off monsters trying to close in on Percy.

"Buying you time." Sigrún said sternly. "This is not where you battle lies, my son."

Percy felt a rush of emotions when she called him her son. Surprise was the first but right behind it was happiness. He always hoped thought of them as his mothers and for them to actually say it meant they felt the same. Even though they had all but said it the night before, it gave him a moment of happiness on a day where he doubted he would be finding any.

"I know," he said. "I can't leave my friends to die though."

Rather than respond, Sigrún muttered an incantation under her breath as a portal opened up behind her. Before Percy could even ask what she was doing, warriors poured out of the portal, a dozen at a time, wielding swords, spears and battle axes.

At first, Percy thought the Norse gods were coming to their rescue. But when he got a look at one of the warriors, he saw it had a gaping wound in its abdomen. Then he looked at its face which was unnaturally pale.

They were dead.

He looked at Sigrún who smiled deviously.

"Hel is not the only one with power over the dead. Of course ours are only the finest to fall in battle. We will protect your friends. Go! If you can't stop her, this will all be for naught."

He smiled at her. Instead of saying anything, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek which turned her face a funny shade of red as the embarrassment was obviously not expected. She recovered after a minute though and gave him a stern look.

"Go!"

Percy nodded and raised Mjolnir to the sky only to be grabbed hard from behind. He turned and found Reyna holding his the back plate of his armor in a death grip.

"I'm going with you. You're not alone in this fight. I am going to help you kill that bitch."

Percy turned to face her and his expression softened as he looked at her. He should have expected this. It was never in her nature to back away from a fight no matter how terrible the odds. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, smiling at the fact she blushed a bit despite being in the middle of a battle.

"Just so you know," he stepped closer to her so he could talk more intimately. "I think I loved you the first day I saw you all those years ago in the woods outside camp. Stumbling across you and Jason that day, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. There isn't a single thing I wouldn't do for you Reyna. No matter how this day ends, I can take what comes next knowing I could not have had a better sixteen years on this planet." He whispered softly, still holding her hand close to his lips. He pressed his lips to her hand again and gave her one of the saddest smiles she had ever seen on his face.

Realization dawned on her too late as Percy shot into the air and towards the clouds where Olympus lay hidden. She let out a half-sob, half-scream as she watched the boy she loved vanish into the sky and towards a fight she had no idea how he would win.

As the thought of never seeing Percy again started to sink in, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun with the reflexes of a leopard and brought her blade at the attacker's throat; it was met with the tip of a spear and kept at bay. She froze when she saw one of the Valkyries holding her blade only inches from the immortal's neck.

Brynhildr fixed her with a steely look but Reyna thought she saw a hint of sympathy in her otherwise cold eyes.

"He must walk this part of his journey alone. Stay with me, you have a role to play but it is not at his side right now."

-x- 

Percy felt Mjolnir pulling him towards the heavens. Usually it was a euphoric and calming experience for him to soar through his father's domain. Today though, he felt none of the freedom or joy he usually found in the sky. To his surprise, it wasn't fear he felt weighing on him as he ascended towards the eternal city of the Greek/Roman gods. No, it wasn't fear, just a sadness and sense of pride in himself. He knew he was likely walking to his death. But he wasn't afraid to die. He had planned on dying on this day for years, ever since his apparent destiny was told to him.

No, he wasn't afraid to die. He was just saddened at all the things he was leaving behind; his friends Jason and Frank; his adoptive mothers; and of course, Reyna.

That was what weighed most heavily on his heart. Reyna, she was just plain awesome. Tough as nails and smoking hot, he couldn't have found a more perfect girl. Leaving her undoubtedly heartbroken on the streets below was the most difficult part of this. He hated himself for doing that but couldn't bring her with him only to join him in death. He was sure he was going to die but planned to do everything he can to bring that freakish looking goddess with him.

He broke through the clouds panicked a bit at what he saw. Olympus was burning. Smoke billowed from the immortal city along the path Hel undoubtedly took on her way to her ultimate goal, the throne room. Buildings burned and he could see the motionless bodies of some of the braver residents. Satyrs, nymphs and other nature spirits lay bleeding in the streets. He could see a few bodies of what he guessed were demigods or minor gods who tried to stop Hel knowing what he did. If she destroyed the thrones of the Olympians, their power would seep from their celestial bodies leaving Hel no opposition as she brought Ragnarök upon Midgard.

If Percy failed, the Olympians would be the final hope, assuming they could defeat the storm giant before it reached New York.

Percy touched down outside the throne room doors, or what was left of them. A hole that still smoked had been blasted through the celestial bronze doors. He warily stepped through and found himself alone amongst the massive thrones with the exception of a single figure standing in the middle of the room. Hel stood there, her head thrown back as she looked up at the sky, seemingly unaware that Percy was even there.

"It is here, young cousin." She said breathing in deeply. "You've been waiting for barely more than a decade while I have been awaiting this day for centuries. Do you know how many times I've imagined this moment? Just you and I, alone, the fate of this world in the balance."

Percy stared at her. The goddess hadn't even glanced at him, as if he were so little a threat, she didn't need to know where he was. He could feel himself becoming outraged at the way she spoke of this moment, a moment he had been dreading his whole life, as if it were something to celebrate.

"How can you be so evil that you would want the end of an entire world?" Percy spat at her. He wasn't sure why but he found himself angry that he was here at all. That he had to do this and likely die because of this one being. "How can a being be so twisted, a goddess no less, that she would wait for this day? What have the humans ever done to you?"

Her eyes lowered from the sky and she turned to face Percy. It was difficult to tell her expression, half her face being just bones, but he guessed it wasn't a happy one.

"Done to me? I was outcast in Asgard, ridiculed and tormented until being given my domain so that the beautiful Asgardians would not have to look upon me and feel their mixture of pity and disgust. Earth is not my target boy, it is just the first domino that must be knocked over to get things rolling."

Percy glared at her. He didn't feel fear. His body was tense but that was because of the anger coursing through him at that moment.

"So a world must die because your family didn't accept you? What the fuck are you, an eight year old child? You think being an outcast justifies this?" He was yelling at the goddess at this point, unable to control his outrage. "This world hasn't done a damn thing to you and you're not going to touch it. This is my world and the only way you're hurting another person is if you get past me!"

Thunder shook the throne room and lightning lit up the suddenly cloudy sky. It was raining but the magic of the throne room kept it from reaching the two cousins standing ten feet apart.

Hel smiled ghoulishly, "And thus our current predicament; goddess versus demigod, the world to the winner. Shall we begin, little cousin?"

Percy hurled Mjolnir at the goddess who nimbly stepped aside grinning maniacally. A spear appeared in her hand as she vanished, reappearing to Percy's left. He unsheathed Anaklusmos just in time to block the goddess' attack.

But Hel was relentless.

Her movements were almost impossible to follow and she pressed Percy, forcing him to backtrack, struggling to defend himself before she feinted low and drove her spear into his chest. The weapon did not puncture his invulnerable skin but did knock him off his feet and send him skidding across the marble.

Hel lunged at him, bringing down an overhead strike that could have split metal. Percy rolled to the side, holding out his hand as he caught Mjolnir and used its momentum to pull him across the floor and away from the goddess.

Her spear hit marble, splitting it apart and imbedding the tip of her weapon almost a foot in the stone floor.

"Come on Jackson," she grinned as she plucked her weapon free. "Don't tell me I've been waiting centuries for such a weak little demigod. Show me your power, son of Thor."

Percy climbed to his feet and narrowed his eyes. Thunder cracked and lightning lit up the sky again and he was about to charge when he stopped himself, remembering his lessons from his mothers. Attacking a stronger opponent was only going to tire him out quicker. Her endurance was far superior to his and if he burned himself out, she would just wait until he made a fatigued mistake.

Instead, his knees bent a little as he crouched slightly a few yards from the goddess. He extended his free hand and waved her over.

Hel seemed surprised but covered it up with a faux grin, "Scared child? I don't blame you."

She moved with such speed Percy had to use every ounce of his skill and abilities just to keep himself from getting run through. Her spear was like lightning, looking like tendrils of electricity aimed at impaling him from several different angles. Percy used Mjolnir and the gauntlet on his left wrist to block her attacks, knocking them off course and missing his body. He was backtracking though and soon found himself unsure of where was in the throne room. He couldn't take his eyes off the weapon or it would have run him through. He wasn't sure for how long his Greek Curse of Achilles would work against a Norse goddess and decided he'd rather not find out the wrong way.

A shadow crept up behind him as he realized he was being backed towards one of the thrones. With speed that rivaled the goddess, he spun to his right, smacking the spear aside as he spun a full 360 degrees, slamming Mjolnir into her back and sending her face first into the foot of the throne.

Instead of pressing, he backed up to catch his breath again, unwilling to make a careless and fatal mistake.

Hel turned around, a vicious sneer on her face. The human side of her face dripped with golden ichor which flowed from the goddess' nose. "Not bad Jackson but thank you for the idea."

Percy wasn't sure what she meant until Hel turned back to the throne she had seen up close and personal. "You want to protect these little Greeks? Let's see how this helps their chances in the battle against the storm giant."

Before Percy could stop her, Hel sent a blast of energy into the giant legs of the throne. The black and leather seat of the immortal tipped to the side and crashed to the throne room floor, erupting into flames as it burned behind the goddess who turned back to Percy with a satisfied smirk.

Rather than reply, Percy hurled Mjolnir at the goddess and held Anaklusmos in front in him. Like he expected, Hel dodged the hammer and charged at him. This time, Percy was ready for her speed. He met every thrust of her spear with his sword. Instead of letting himself get pushed back again, he held his ground. When Hel's attacks slowed, he sprang into offense.

He slashed and stabbed but Hel was simply too fast. He managed to back her up a few feet giving him the chance he was waiting for. He feinted low and when she went to block he caught Mjolnir and swung it viciously. The weapon hit her square in the chest and sent the goddess flying back where she flew into one of the thrones.

Momentarily stunned, she barely noticed the throne begin to whir and move, some kind of self-defense mode activating. She jumped to her feet and out of the way before any of the traps could touch her. She glanced back at the throne for a moment before turning to Percy again. She ran a hand along her chest where the weapon had struck before she began to laugh.

Her laugh was so cold and maniacal that it sent a shiver down Percy's spine.

"Not bad little cousin." She continued laughing. "I have to give you credit, you're pretty good." Percy narrowed his eyes as her laughter died down. "For a demigod anyway. But I'm a goddess. I think it's time I started to act like one."

Before Percy could think what that meant, Hel's body vanished. She appeared to his left and drove her spear into his side. His armor and invulnerable skin kept him alive but when he turned she was gone. Then her spear was driven into his over side, sending him stumbling to the side from the force of the impact. Before he could catch himself, Hel cracked her spear across the back of his head. The weapon rang his bell so hard he thought he could feel his brain rattling around inside his head.

Hel appeared in front of him and grabbed Percy by the throat. She lifted him off his feet and held him inches from her face. "Perhaps I can't find where you're vulnerable but I'm guessing you still need to breathe to live." She squeezed his throat so hard, he was sure if he wasn't protected by the Curse of Achilles, it would have already been snapped. He tried to breathe but found his airways completely constricted.

"This was always how it was going to end Perseus Jackson." Hel's face was so close Percy got a closer than he wanted sample of her breath which, for a goddess, was remarkably bad.

Percy brought his knee up and drove it into her stomach while the goddess was busy trying to watch him die slowly in her grasp. Her grip gave just a little and he pounced on the opportunity. He kicked her again and used the momentum to wrap a leg around her arm. Her elbowed her in the face and threw himself forward with everything he had. The goddess stumbled and tripped, flipping over and landing on her back where Percy quickly elbowed her in the face several times before rolling away.

"That one was courtesy of you. Same way I killed a Titan in Tartarus," he mused and backtracked a couple feet. "And it's called a fucking toothbrush bitch. I guess you two were never introduced."

Hel rose to her feet, her expression was a mixture of shock, anger and disbelief. She charged at Percy and vanished mid-stride, appearing behind him but Percy knew it was coming. He dropped to his knees and spun, slamming Mjolnir into the back of her leg, sending Hel onto her back yet again. He lunged at her, trying to pound her through the marble but her spear came up and blocked his strike. Percy tried to overpower her but Hel let out a feral scream and unleashed a blast of energy so powerful Percy was sent flying across the room where he slammed into the far wall of the throne room, crumpling to the ground as the number of thrones in front of him suddenly doubled.

"ENOUGH!" Hel roared as she rose to her feet. "I have toyed with you long enough, child. I am the daughter of Loki and Angrboda and no demigod will best me in combat!"

Before Percy could even get to his feet, Hel was in front of him. She grabbed him by the chest plate and hurled him across the room. He skidded across the floor and tried to get back to his feet but was kicked hard in the face sending him onto his back.

"Get up Jackson! I am going to enjoy this." She spat. "This is the beginning of the end and you are the only thing standing in my way."

Percy started to stand but was kicked in the side and sent rolling across the floor again. Even if his skin was invulnerable, Hel was incredibly strong and his internal organs were taking a beating. Before he could recover, Hel knocked the helm off his head and pulled him to his feet by the hair.

Percy's hand went to his thigh very slowly. He unsheathed the dagger at his side and jammed it straight into her ribs. The goddess roared in pain and backhanded Percy across the face. He held out his hand to summon Mjolnir but Hel appeared between Percy and his weapon. She slammed the butt of her spear into the weapon, knocking it out of midair and to the ground. It tried to fly to Percy but she slammed her spear into the ground beside it and the weapon went motionless, encased by some invisible force. Percy opened and closed his hand but it made no effort to come to him.

"I think we've seen enough of your Daddy's toy. It's time to finish this."

Percy unsheathed Anaklusmos, which conveniently kept returning to him every time he dropped it. He looked at Hel but his vision was still slightly blurry from the beating he had been taking. He focused on Hel but did not attack, trying to recover his senses for a second.

Hel had no intention of letting him regain his bearings though. She lunged at him. Percy raised his sword to block but his movements were sluggish. Hel easily changed direction and used the shaft of her spear to sweep his legs out from under him.

She quickly pinned him down with a foot to the chest.

"It is time cousin. This is the end. I must give you credit, you were a far more difficult challenge than I anticipated. But in the end, what hope did you have? A single demigod against me? Your destiny was an unfair one and I shall release you of it at last." Her words almost sounded sympathetic but that thought was thrown out when she pressed the butt of her spear into his throat, increasing the pressure until Percy's ability to breathe was gone.

He struggled, punching at the spear but Hel waved her other hand and invisible restraints pinned his arms to the floor.

"You're just a demigod. This was inevitable." Hel said as spots began to appear in Percy's eyes. He tried to thrash around but could not free himself. He felt himself losing consciousness and was pretty sure he was going delirious when he saw what he swore looked like a bee buzzing around Hel's head. He knew he was losing it when he saw it fly right into her ear.

But then the pressure on his throat lessened and Hel became startled. She yelped in pain as swatted at her own head. Percy's bonds vanished and he rolled away. He turned to find the goddess moving around erratically and continually trying to swat at her head.

Percy felt himself grabbed under the arms and pulled to his feet. He turned to find Jason behind him holding him up. Reyna was beside him. She had a few small wounds but otherwise fine.

"How did you guys get here?"

Jason smiled a bit, "Got a ride from a friend." He pointed at Hel who had stopped swatting at herself and held a finger in her ear on the human side of her face. A small amount of golden ichor dripped from her ear and she looked like she was genuinely in pain.

Suddenly a figure seemed to appear out of nowhere a few feet behind the goddess.

Frank Zhang had a look of discomfort on his face as he looked at Hel.

"What was that?" Hel growled looking around noticing that there were now three extra demigods in the throne room.

Frank smirked a little, "I think you had a bee in your ear but don't worry, it was way more disturbing for the bee than it was for you." He shuddered a little and backed up a bit to gain more distance between him and the goddess. "Payback for tricking me into trying to kill my friend."

Hel's face was murderous, "You fools. Now you will all feel my wrath…"

"No," Reyna snapped cutting the goddess off. "It's time for you to feel our wrath. You said no demigod could defeat you, let's see how you do against four."

"Don't," Percy warned. "This is my fight. I have to do this."

Reyna sent him a withering glare, "Stop being an idiot. Any fight of yours is our fight as well. If she wants to kill you, then she'll have to kill us all. We're Romans, we fight as one."

Percy glanced at Jason who nodded his agreement. Then he looked over at Frank who had a look of determination on his face as well. Percy wanted to tell them to leave but he couldn't deny how relieved he felt that his friends were here, willing to give their lives to protect him.

After a moment he looked up at Hel and smiled, "You made a mistake coming here. The legion is the greatest military force in human history. You just signed your own death certificate."

Hel was about to respond when a panther with fur the color of night jumped onto her back. Frank tried to sink his fangs in but Hel threw him aside. Before she could move towards him, Jason brought his gladius down.

Hel raised her spear and blocked, kicking Jason in the stomach and whirling around to block Reyna's blade which was coming down on her back. She pushed Reyna back and attacked hard. She thrust low and when Reyna went to block, the goddess knocked her blade out of her hand. She drove her spear right into Reyna's chest.

Reyna's eyes closed and she raised her hands in a desperate attempt to stop the attack. But instead of pain, she only heard the loud clang of metal on metal. Her eyes opened and the shield Percy had given her was in her hands.

She quickly shook off her shock that the shield popped out on its own and jumped back from Hel's next strike. She might have still been killed had Percy not jumped between them. In one hand he held Anaklusmos and the other Mjolnir, which he had quickly retrieved.

Hel stabbed at him but Percy felt a rush of energy coursing through his body. Moments before he had been completely out of gas but seeing his friends set a fire in his heart. He smacked her spear aside with Anaklusmos and kicked the goddess in the stomach.

"My turn cousin." He grinned and lunged at the goddess. He swung Anaklusmos at her head. Hel ducked and was smashed in the chest with Mjolnir. She stumbled back and barely sidestepped Percy's blade. She backed up before being kicked hard in the back from Jason. Percy dropped Anaklusmos and brought Mjolnir in a powerful two-handed overhead strike. Hel vanished from the spot and Percy hit the marble with such force with exploded when the hammer made contact. Chunks of marbles flew wildly around the room filling it with dust that left the demigods somewhat blinded for the moment.

Percy waved at the dust, trying to clear his vision until he heard something that turned his blood cold.


	35. Battle for Midgard Pt.2

The dust slowly settled and Percy saw Jason, the tip of a spear protruding from his stomach and a look of shock and disbelief written on his face.

Hel pulled the spear out as Jason dropped to his knees, blood starting to pour from the wound in his stomach. Hel raised her weapon to finish him and all Percy could do was look on in horror.

Just as the weapon was brought down, a familiar looking panther leapt out of nowhere and sunk its fangs deep in the goddess' neck. Frank jerked his head to the side, trying to go for the instinctive kill before he was thrown over the top of the goddess, landing at her feet.

Ichor poured from her neck but Hel remained on her feet. She raised her spear on Frank and brought it down only to hit nothing but marble. She looked down at the spot in disbelief when instead of a full grown panther; a small gerbil scurried away from her as fast as its little legs could take it.

She lunged at the rodent but was tackled hard to the ground but what felt like a runaway freight train. Percy looked like a linebacker as he wrapped both arms around her waist and drove her so hard into the floor, the marble cracked under the impact of their collision.

Rather than roll away, Percy sat up and drove his fist straight into the goddess' face. One after another, he wailed away, his rage fueling him on and leaving the goddess too stunned to react or defend herself. After a few though, she turned her head and Percy hit the marble with a sickening crunch of his knuckles.

Hel grabbed him by the shirt and used her legs to flip him over the top of her, allowing her to roll away, still reeling from the beating she had just taken at the hands of the demigod.

Percy jumped to his feet to see Hel slowing getting to hers. Her face was bruised and bleeding and not even her powers as a goddess were healing them very quickly.

Reyna had pulled Jason aside and was trying to stop the bleeding as he lay there, his face ghostly white and looking close to death.

Frank has transformed out of his gerbil form and reformed as himself, standing a few feet away from Percy, his eyes locked on the goddess.

Hel's already hideous face was marred with a vicious sneer. She wiped some of the ichor from her mouth, "I will destroy all of you for this!"

Percy glanced at Frank and then back at Reyna and Jason. Frank followed his eyes and an understanding quickly passed between them.

It was up to the two of them to finish this once and for all… Or die trying.

Frank moved first. His body transformed mid stride. He lunged at Hel in the form of a panther only to transform mid jump into a six hundred pound Grizzly Bear. He roared loudly and swiped his massive paw at her. Hel ducked and had to spin around to parry the Mjolnir. She expertly parried Percy's strike, using his momentum to send him stumbling forward before spinning around to impale Frank.

Only Frank, or the monstrous Grizzly, was no longer there.

Instead, a massive boar lunged at her, upending the goddess and sending her flipping over its back. The boar spun around and barreled into Hel with its tusks. She howled in pain as she felt the animal's tusks pierce her skin. She let out another scream and blasted Frank away, sending him flying into one of the thrones. Frank though, transformed into a chimpanzee and grabbed one of the arms the throne as he reached it, doing a backflip and landing perfectly on his feet where he turned back into himself.

Percy used her preoccupation with Frank as his chance to move. He hurled Mjolnir at Hel but she managed to duck before it could hit her. Percy ran forward with Anaklusmos just as she got back to her feet. He slashed at her chest but she blocked, pushed back, and returned with her own attacks. The sound of metals clashing filled the throne room, as Percy met every strike with one of his own.

Percy knew he was fatigued but he was sure the goddess was as well. Her movements were not what they were moments earlier and she looked like she was breathing heavily as she tried to keep up her onslaught. Percy waited until she overextended one of her thrusts and used the flat of his blade to smack her in the leg, knocking her down to a knee. He drove the hilt of Anaklusmos into her head and sent the goddess to the ground in a heap. He raised Anaklusmos to finish her when the sky suddenly turned as dark as night.

Before he missed his chance, he drove Anaklusmos down. Hel tried to roll away but could only get far enough so the blow wasn't fatal. The celestial bronze went straight through her shoulder as she shrieked in agony.

Thunder boomed and lightning lit up the sky. Winds began to whip so fast that pieces of the city began hitting the outside of the throne room with loud crashes and bangs. Percy momentarily lost his focus which gave Hel time to push the blade from her shoulder and vanish from the spot. She reappeared still bleeding only a few feet away where he dropped to the ground. Her wounds were seeping her strength from her and keeping her from putting any distance between her and Percy.

More and more crashing sounds were heard and the sky rumbled almost continuously. Frank looked at Percy nervously, "Why are you doing that?"

He shook his head confused, "I'm not…"

"Typhon," Reyna gasped from her spot beside Jason holding a blood soaked piece of cloth to his wound. "The gods failed. He is here. Olympus is going to be destroyed."

Percy looked panicked for a second before a look of acceptance replaced his expression. He turned to Hel with his own sneer.

"You took too long," he spat at her. "Now we all get die up here, you included. Perhaps the gods will die but at least the world will live."

Hel looked up at him with fearful expression. She looked ready to say something but then stopped. She started to chuckle. Her chuckle grew louder and louder until soon she was in laughing almost hysterically in the middle of the throne room.

"I'm glad you find your death so amusing but this means you failed. No revenge, no Ragnarök, just the death of a few demigods who will be happy to die if it means the end of you!" Percy bellowed at her. The fact that she was laughing was disconcerting to say the least but he refused to let her believe she had won.

Hel stopped laughing but she continued to smile. Ichor covered half of face and she still looked bruised and battered though she had managed to heal the wound on her shoulder for the most part.

"How foolish you truly are, little demigods." She laughed mockingly at him. "You think I actually expected the Olympians to do their lone task of defeating Typhon?"

Percy and Frank both looked at each other and then back at the goddess but neither responded to her question.

"If you want something done, you have to do it yourself. First thing you must learn if you want to get anywhere in life." She smirked. Before Percy could say anything, she waved her hand as an image appeared in the middle of the throne room. It was the size of a monstrous big screen TV and gave everyone a perfect view of the what was being seen in the image.

At first, it was hard to tell what they were looking at. All they could see were storm clouds. They seemed infinite. But as they stared, they could see what Percy could tell was the city of Newark, New Jersey in the background of the storm.

Or, what was left of it.

The city was being ripped apart as winds tore building from their foundations and sent them hurtling into others. It was the definition of a disaster in the city. As they stared at the screen, they watched the column of storm approaching the Hudson River, moving rapidly over the Jersey shore. Chariots circled it, locked in combat with the creature in the cloud. The gods attacked. Lightning flashed. Arrows of gold and silver streaked into the cloud like rocket tracers and exploded. Slowly, the cloud ripped apart, and they could see Typhon clearly for the first time. Typhon's head shifted constantly. Every moment he was a different monster, each more horrible than the last. His body was humanoid and was mottled green, with blisters the size of buildings, and blackened patches from eons of being stuck under a volcano. His hands were human, but with talons like an eagle's. His legs were scaly and reptilian.

Percy glanced at Hel who was watching the image with great anticipation. He looked back at it and realized Typhon was mere minutes away.

As Typhon stepped into the New York Harbor, which barely reached his knees, the monster froze. Its hideous head looked down at the sea below it and the image followed. Percy could have sworn he saw something moving around the monsters fee but assumed it must have been the ripples Typhon's steps made.

Above the storm giant, the Olympians still circled but they too were looking down at the water with confusion.

Percy gasped when he saw a monstrous creature circling Typhon. It's serpent body broke above the water in multiple places before the head suddenly breached and sank its fangs deeply into one the reptilian legs of Typhon. The storm giant bellowed in pain and the force of his howl shook the floor of the throne room.

"Odin's beard," Percy gasped, his face ashen as he looked at the image in utter terror. "Jörmungandr."

The Olympians, like the demigods in the throne room, seemed frozen at what they were witnessing. The Midgard Serpent began to wrap itself around Typhon, working its way up from the legs until the giant's body was immobilized by the enormous serpent.

"What have you done?" Percy said in disbelief.

"I have called in a family favor. Like I said, I would never trust those worthless Greeks to complete their single task." Hel smiled back. "My brother will drag Typhon to the depths of the sea while I finish what I have started!"

As Jörmungandr reached the storm giants shoulders, it reared back and sank its fangs deeply into Typhon's neck. The Olympians seemed to come out of their stupor. Zeus launched bolt after bolt both at Typhon and Jörmungandr. The bolts of lightning lit up the sky but when the light faded, the effects were minimal. Silver and gold arrows rained down from the sky but they were like flies buzzing around the heads of the two behemoth creatures.

Typhon stumbled deeper into the sea and even through the image, the sound of bones cracking and breaking could be heard as Jörmungandr constricted its body around the giant.

Typhon stumbled again and fell into the sea where both he and Jörmungandr vanished underneath the waves. The Olympians continued to fire at the spot where they vanished but they had no visible effect. They were both gone, Typhon likely to be dead soon.

"Now," Hel said as her spear reappeared in her hand. "I believe it's time we finish this. Those foolish gods will give up eventually and return to Olympus. But I plan to have destroyed their thrones and this city long before then."

Percy looked away from the fading image and narrowed his eyes.

"We'll just have to see about that, won't we?"

Hel opened her mouth to respond when she looked around the room apprehensively. She looked from Reyna and Jason, then to Percy, and then around the room completely again.

"Where's that other brat? What ridiculous creature has he turned himself into now? I will rip him to pieces the next time I find him."

Percy smirked at her look of anger and fear, "You should be far more worried about what I'm about to do to you."

"And me." Reyna said standing up. Her face was streaked with tears and before Percy even looked, he knew Jason was dead.

His body lay crumpled up in the position Reyna had left him, a bloodied piece of cloth still lay on his stomach but his face was white as a ghost and his eyes were open, looking at Percy hauntingly.

"I'm going to rip you into a million pieces for this." He snarled as a bolt of lightning dropped from the sky and hit the spot Hel had been standing in.

She reappeared a few feet in front of Percy, her spear already mid thrust as it hit his stomach and picked Percy clear up off the ground and sent him flying onto his back. Hel lunged at him again but was sideswiped by a dark blur.

Frank, in the form of a gorilla, hit the goddess so hard it would have made an NFL linebacker jealous. He drove her into the ground forming a crater in the marble before he rolled forward before she could recover.

The goddess barely rolled aside in time to avoid being decapitated by Reyna whose grief filled face had been replaced by a rage filledone. She hacked and slashed as Hel scurried back but the blade hit her shoulder opening up a gash that started to leak ichor.

Hel let out a scream and unleashed a blast of energy that sent Reyna flying backwards. Before Hel could even get to her feet, Percy was behind her with Mjolnir raised.

The goddess turned but it was too late. Percy was already mid swing. Mjolnir came down with a power that rivaled when it was wielded by his father. She tried to turtle but the weapon hit her in the back and sent her flying into the nearest throne, one that looked like a deep sea fishing one, holster for rod (or trident) included.

Hel landed in the massive throne which came to life at the contact of another immortal. It began to glow with an ethereal sea green light and the goddess was blasted off it, landing in the middle of the throne room, her body still smoking from the explosion.

Hel's eyes opened and she tried to sit up when she was suddenly pinned to the ground. She looked up to find Percy standing over her. Mjolnir lay on her chest. She tried to shove the weapon off but found the task impossible.

"What… What is this?" She snarled at Percy. Her body was badly injured. Ichor leaked from a number of different wounds and even her skeletal half was blackened from the explosion.

"Mjolnir only listens to those it wants to. It doesn't like you. You're not going anywhere."

Hel screamed and tried to flash out of the spot but found herself pinned. By this time, Frank and Reyna were at Percy's side.

"What do we do with her?" Frank asked.

Percy didn't respond. He unsheathed Anaklusmos and held the gleaming blade in front of him. The look on his face was answer enough.

"Wait," Hel said, her tone slightly startled. "We're family, remember cousin?"

Percy's jaw tightened and his grip on the blade was so intense his knuckles were white.

"Family?" He asked in a low growl.

"Yes," Hel pleaded. "Bring me back to Asgard, to face the other gods. It is the honorable thing to do."

Percy put the blade to her throat, "My family is here on earth. My brother lays dead right over there at your hands. Now you will meet the same fate." He raised the blade when Hel said something that stopped him in his tracks.

"I can bring him back! I will bring your friend back!"

Percy's grip on the blade faltered, "You're lying. He isn't even Norse. And even if he was, he certainly would not end up in your realm. He was a hero, one of the finest I ever knew."

"You know that Greek god of death pales in power next to me. Spare me and I will give your friend his life back." Hel's voice had just a hint of arrogance to it. She knew she had Percy. His greatest weakness was when it came to the people he cared about. He didn't have many but the ones he did would always hold a power to outweigh his logical mind.

"Percy," Reyna put a hand on his arm which still held Anaklusmos over Hel's throat. "What if she's telling the truth?"

Percy opened his mouth to respond when Percy glanced down at the goddess again. The look on her face was the only answer he needed.

"Jason died a hero. I won't take that away from him. He gave his life and saved the world. Time to finish what he started." He shook his hand free and gripped Anaklumos with two hands. He brought the sword up and drove it straight down into the evil heart of the goddess.

Hel let out a feral sounding scream. Her body began to glowing with a blinding light. Frank and Reyna both turned away on instinct. Percy was forced to close his eyes but he held his ground, holding Anaklusmos tightly in his hands, still imbedded in the goddess' chest.

The light suddenly exploded outward. Reyna and Frank were both blasted off their feet, landing on their backs a few feet away. They both looked up and found Percy on a knee. Anaklusmos was still gripped tightly in his hands but instead of being imbedded in the goddess, it was stuck driven through a pile of golden shimmering dust. Mjolnir lay on the floor a few feet away but Percy remained in his spot.

"Percy," Reyna said, her voice holding a slight bit of awe at what had just happened. They had actually done it. They defeated the goddess that was more powerful than anything she had ever seen in her life save for the Primordials she had both the pleasure and displeasure of meeting during their trip to Tartarus.

Her voice seemed to pull him out of his state of concentration as he gingerly pulled the blade out of the remains of the goddess. He turned to her and Frank as they stepped closer to him when the throne room doors exploded open.

Twelve immortals stormed into the throne room dressed in full battle regalia. Some looked in less than peak condition, none worse than the war god who was being helped inside by a chubby looking god with some strange looking pinecone atop a staff, and who looked less than thrilled than to be basically carrying his fellow Olympian along with him.

It wasn't clear who was more shocked at what they were witnessing, the gods or the demigods.

Zeus was the first to break of stunned silence.

"What is go…" The King of the Gods trailed off as he scanned the throne room, his eyes landing on the unmoving body of his Roman son.

Zeus' image shimmered, his facial features became sterner and they quickly morphed into a look of outrage when his eyes went from his dead son to Percy who looked ready to collapse now that the adrenaline of the battle had dissipated.

"YOU!" The Lord of the Skies snarled. He raised his bolt and a number of the other Olympians scrambled to stop him but weren't fast enough. He launched his bolt at Percy who went a little wide eyed at the attack.

As the bolt left the god's hands, Percy did the first thing that came to mind. He thrust both his hands out to each side and a blast of wind seemed to come from nowhere, sending both Frank and Reyna flying in different directions.

The bolt hit Percy straight in the chest. Unlike the last time, he wasn't prepared for it. He may have been basically invulnerable to electricity but the godly sized bolt still packed a monstrous amount of force and blasted him clear across the throne room where he hit the wall and dropped to the ground, his vision going dark as his head slammed off the marble.

The last thing he heard were the cries of outrage from a number of Olympians and Zeus turning his rage on them before his consciousness faded completely.

-x-

Percy slowly felt himself waking up and was immediately aware of how much his head was pounding. He felt like he had been hit by a freight train, every inch of his body ached and he tried to put a hand to his forehead when he found he couldn't.

His hand felt shackled.

His eyes shot open and yup, he was shackled. Both of them actually. He followed the chain and found he was chained to a marble floor.

That was when his memories of how he lost consciousness came flooding back into his mind; the battle with Hel, then Zeus trying to blast him to Tartarus, forgetting he was a son of lightning and electricity was not the best tool for killing him.

Percy looked up and was a little surprised at what he saw. The gods were all in their thrones, some looking like they were barely conscious, while others, such as Zeus, were looking quite well, which Percy found a bit unfortunate.

Then he noticed all the demigods in the throne room. They were lined up in a wide arcing circle giving the middle of the room plenty of space.

The middle of the room, where he happened to be chained… Awesome… that was a good sign. No one wanted to get too close to him, peachy he thought dryly.

He found Frank and Reyna who were standing beside Thalia who was weeping over the shrouded body of Jason.

He felt a fresh pang of hurt as he saw Jason's shrouded body. He caught eyes with Reyna who was biting her lip. He looked at her questioningly and she looked like she was at a rare loss for words. He gave her a reassuring wink that seemed to do anything but reassure her.

The entire room seemed to be waiting for something and Percy quickly realized it was him.

"You know," he spoke loudly as the room immediately fell in silence. "I'm not much for jewelry," he pulled at his shackled right hand, "a simple thank you, maybe fruit basket would have sufficed as a thank you for stopping the destruction of your thrones."

Aphrodite opened her mouth to say something when thunder shook the throne room.

"Silence boy!" Zeus roared. "It is only at the request of your friends and some of council I have spared your life this long."

Percy turned to where Frank and Reyna were and gave them a thumb up, holding up his hand as high as the shackles would let him.

"Okay," Percy said turning more serious as he looked back at Zeus. "I get you're not a huge fan, but this seems a little extreme. I'm pretty sure my friends and I are the only reason you still have that throne you're sitting on."

Zeus' nostrils flared and he seemed like he was swallowing a grenade for a moment. Then he composed himself.

"We have heard the testimonies of your companions as well as a number of my children," he said the word children like it left a bitter taste in his mouth. "But your fate is mine to decide boy. You have committed many crimes against this council and they will be weighed against your contributions to the war effort."

"What crimes?" Percy cried indignantly.

"You have deceived the legion. You lied about your identity to gain entrance into the Legion. You have been a fugitive of the council since you attacked my son and ran before you could face justice."

"Oh," Percy said a little sheepishly. "Right… That. How about we call it square then?"

Zeus turned red with anger but when the woman beside him put a hand on his arm, he seemed to calm down, just a little. "I have decided to spare your life," Percy nodded at this. "But you will turn over your weapon to the council and will be banished from our lands for the rest of your existence. If I so much as hear a whisper of you, I will strike you down without a second's hesitation."

Percy looked a few feet beside him where Mjolnir lay also chained to the floor, undoubtedly by Celestial Bronze or some other godly metal.

"And if I refuse?"

Zeus seemed almost pleased at this response, "Then you die. You are too big of a threat but my fellow Olympians seem to think you have earned a reprieve from the death sentence I levied on you when you were last in this room."

Percy looked around at the other gods. The ones he knew, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite and a few others were looking at him apologetically. The twin archers looked barely conscious from their battle with the storm giant and Percy guessed they did not have much strength to defend him any more than they had already done.

Percy was silent for a moment. He looked over at Reyna and Frank who were looking at him pleadingly, their eyes begging him to agree. Reyna actually looked like she wanted to break down but wouldn't allow herself in front of the rest of the legion. He looked at the other demigods who looked worriedly at him but none dared speak up on his behalf against the Lord of the Skies who seemed like he was on a rampage since finding Percy in the throne room.

He turned back to Zeus but his face was devoid of emotion.

"I can't hand over what is not mine to give. If you want to banish me, fine. But Mjolnir is not my weapon to hand over and I would rather die than give you a weapon you are nowhere near worthy to wield."

A few gasps were heard from the demigods behind him but they were silenced when Zeus stood up. His bolt, which was pulsing in his hand, began to glow until it was a sword.

"Then the weapon will be destroyed and you will die We have put one threat to rest today, I have no problem dealing with another."

Zeus made to step down from his throne when the sound of footsteps behind the demigods drew the attention of gods and demigods alike. The newly attached doors of the throne room were pushed open and through them came what looked like a floating map. But as the demigods parted, it was clear it was just a figure carrying a map that was being held close to his face.

The map lowered revealing a man who looked maybe twenty-five or thirty. He wasn't very tall and he had dark golden hair that was slicked back, a green jacket and despite his confused expression, his golden eyes shone with mischievousness.

He looked around the room with both confusion and a bit of disappointment.

"Wait, this isn't the Empire State Building Bar, is it?"


	36. Who Ordered These Pizzas?

Ch.36

The entire throne room fell into complete silence. Gods and demigods alike stared at the man, unsure if he was joking or if he was some was strange lost mortal stumbling upon the throne room of the gods. Of course that was impossible but it seemed to have slipped their minds for the moment. The only person in the room showing any emotion other than confusion was Frank, who looked like he was seconds from wetting himself but nobody seemed to have noticed the look of terror on his face.

The golden haired man raised an eyebrow as he looked at the collection of beings in the room. If he was shocked to find giant beings seated in thrones surrounded by an odd collection of kids and teenagers in full ancient Greek and Roman battle armor, he made no indication.

He walked a little further into the room, the demigods giving him a wide berth as he made his way to the center of the room, stopping a few feet away from where Percy was on a knee, still chained to the floor.

Zeus seemed to come out of stupor, "Who are you? How did you even get up here?"

The man opened his mouth to reply when the throne rooms doors opened again. Every head in the room snapped to the back where more than a few people started to think they were going crazy as they looked at who walked in.

In the throne room walked a man in a blue polo shirt. A Domino's Pizza logo was emblazoned on the front and he had identical slicked back golden hair but this guy was wearing a mustache that looked stupidly obvious that it wasn't real. It was the exact same man as the guy with the map except this one walked in looking down at a piece of paper in one hand and a trio of pizzas in the other.

"I've got 3 pepperoni pizzas for a Hugh G. Wreckshin." He announced loudly to the room.

Silence reigned supreme as everyone in the room looked too stunned to even respond.

"Hugh G. Wreckshin?" The man called with a straight face. "Three pies for a Hugh G. Wreckshin?"

The room remained silent until it was broken but the quiet laughter of a certain god of messengers who was clutching his caduceus and trying to control himself from breaking out in a fit of laughter.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zeus roared.

The pizza guy held up the piece of paper, "I'm just looking for a Hugh G. Wreckshin…" He asked innocently. "Do you know where I can find a Hugh G. Wrecksin."

Zeus' face turned red with anger. He grew back to his godly height and prepared to launch his bolt at the pizza man when the doors opened yet again.

This time, a man dressed in a mail curriers outfit stepped in. He wore the blue hat with the brim pulled down but his slicked back golden hair was clearly visible hanging out the back. He took a couple steps into the room, standing a few feet away from the other two guests.

"I've got a package here for a Mr. Heywood…Mr. Heywood Jablowmi?" He looked at Zeus and raised an eyebrow, "Heywood Jablowmi?"

The looked of the skies' face went from red to purple as thunder shook the throne room, "ENOUGH! You dare insult a god!" He launched his master bolt at the mail currier who went wide eyed before the bolt passed harmlessly through his chest. He looked up at Zeus and smirked before his form flickered and he vanished.

Zeus turned to the pizza man who had a mischievous smirk plastered on his face as well.

"Who are you?" Zeus thundered.

The man grinned, "Names Dick, which is short for Dixie. Dixie Normous. And I'm looking for a Hugh G. Wreckshin?"

The lord of the skies launched another bolt at the pizza man only for it to harmlessly pass through him as well before the man pouted and flickered out of existence like the mail currier.

Zeus turned to the final man only to realize he was gone. He looked around in a rage before he turned to Percy, "Who was that? Tell me now or I will strike you dead where you stand!"

Before Percy could answer, the throne room doors flew open again. Unlike the previous three times, they were thrown open so hard, the sound of them hitting the walls reverberated throughout the throne room and made a number of people flinch. Into the throne room strode a familiar looking face with slicked back golden hair and a mischievous glint in his golden eyes. He walked confidently into the room and stopped right next to Percy.

"Hi, my name is Hugh G. Wrecskhin. Have my pizzas arrived yet?"

By this time, Zeus looked like he was about to explode, the mockery from this man was too much for his inflated ego to take in.

"I will make sure you spend eternity in Tartarus for this insult!" Zeus roared as he launched his bolt at the man. Unlike the others, he simply slid slickly to his left as the bolt flew past him, blasting apart the wall behind him.

He glanced back at the wall before turning back to Zeus, "Well that was a tad rude, don't you think?"

Zeus summoned his bolt back to him but the man held up his hands in a surrendering gesture.

"Hold on a second there bud," he chuckled. "I'm trying to help you here. I think you should listen to me before you make things much worse."

Zeus' nostrils flared but before he could speak, Athena stood up.

"What do you mean worse? And how are you even here? I can only assume you are a Norse and we were under the impression you were not able to reach this planet anymore. Who are you?"

The man turned to Athena, staring at her for a moment before he winked at her. The goddess' face became a bit flushed in spite of her best attempts to not.

"Now where would the fun be if I told you all my secrets now? I've got make you work for it love. For now, let's just say I know a few ways around the universe that most people do not."

The man turned away from Athena and looked back at Zeus, his arrogant smile only pushing Zeus further over the edge, "What can I say, I'm a reasonable guy. I want to help you out before you really dig yourselves a hole here."

"But who are you?" Hera demanded, her impatience getting the better of her.

The man stopped a few feet in front of Percy and sighed deeply, "I am slightly offended. I was under the impression my boyish good looks transcended time. Surely one of you must recognize me."

His question was met with silence making him sigh dramatically again, "Fine." A staff materialized in his hand and he stepped to the left.

Well, one of him did.

The man split into two of himself, both of their attires changing as they split. A few gasps were heard before they split again.

And then again.

In seconds, there were suddenly eight of the man, all dressed in armor completely different than anyone else in the room.

With the exception of Percy.

He wore combat boots that were overlapped by pure black greaves covering the front of his legs. Long chainmail covered most of his upper body with a small thin breast plate that was inscribed with odd markings that only a few in the room recognized as runes. He wore a vambrace on each wrist and in right hand of the figures was a long staff with a razor sharp top that curved over a small glowing blue stone.

The entire room was silent. Everyone had their eyes on the man. Or, one of them anyway.

Finally Zeus broke the silence, "What is this witchcraft?"

The eight figures all rolled their eyes before seven of them vanished and only one who was standing a few feet in front of Percy remained.

"I was looking for more awe and shock and less grumpy old Greek." Zeus' face went red again but the man held up his hand to stop him from speaking.

"I," he paused a moment for dramatic effect, "am Loki. And I am here to offer you this one time chance to stop this nonsense and apologize to my dear nephew for this slap in the face you have given him in reward for saving your backsides."

The room was silent again. The Olympians were all a little wide-eyed and no one seemed eager to speak up. The silence was broken as Percy wrenched on his shackles, finally getting Loki to turn around and acknowledge him.

Sadly, he did not get the response he was looking for.

"Uh, nephew… Do you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation over here." Percy opened his mouth but no words came out and Loki nodded appreciatively, "Thank you, I'll get to you in a moment."

Percy's hands dropped to his sides and he stared a little dumbfounded as he watched what he thought was his savior continue with what looked like a very amusing back at forth with Zeus.

He turned back to the Olympians and looked at them expectantly, "So," he grinned, "let's say you free my nephew here and we can forget this ever happened."

Zeus finally seemed to recover from his shock, "He is a wanted fugitive by this council. You have no business here in my throne room!"

Loki tilted his head to the side and stared at Zeus. His expression clearly asked if he had seriously just said that. Then he scanned the other gods, getting a read on each and every one of them before he looked back at Zeus who still stood in front of his throne at his godly height.

"It doesn't appear the rest of your council shares your opinion," he mused more to himself, "but regardless, I will offer one last time. Free my nephew and this can be forgiven."

The entire throne room went silent for about the umpteenth time since he had appeared with a map in hand at the doors of the throne room. Unlike the rest of his time in the throne room, Loki's last statement had been spoken with an eerie calm to his voice. The mirth and humor had left his face as he stared up at the King of Olympus.

Zeus glared down at the mortal sized god before him before an ugly sneer appeared on his face, "Do you truly think we would fear you? One god against a dozen of us? Even more if I so much as uttered the command. I am King of Olympus! I will unleash our full might upon you if I wish it. All of Olympus against one Norse? I will give you this one last chance to run back to whatever decrepit place you Vikings reside in these days or you shall feel my wrath!"

All eyes in the throne room went to Loki who stood looking stoic in the same spot. He looked at Zeus, then around the room at the other Olympians. Then he turned his back on Zeus and the entire Olympian Council giving the demigods filling the room a view of the look of utter glee that was covering his face. He knelt down next to Percy smiling wickedly.

"Well, looks like your grandfather owes me a pretty penny for this one."

Before Percy could respond, Loki spun back around walking towards the gods, a number of them tensing and getting ready to stand up, half expecting an attack. But to their utter disbelief, he dropped down to a knee and bowed.

A smug smile covered Zeus' face as he watched the other immortal bow to him. He was about to say something arrogant but the Norse god spoke first.

"Thank you." Loki said softly but loud enough for the Olympians and the demigods to hear. He remained in a bow as the gods looked at him with confusion.

"Thank you for what?" Demeter asked looking somewhat wary. A number of the other gods mirrored her look, wondering what the mysterious god was up to.

Loki rose from his bow, his smile threatening to split his face, "For choosing the hard way of course! I came here to offer you the easy way and I have to admit, even I thought you'd take it. But I'm a gambling man and you just made me good amount of silver when you decided to do this the fun way."

Zeus held his bolt threateningly, "Leave this place before you get to enjoy the easy way to Tartarus!"

Loki rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling of the throne room, "Oh, I should probably mention that I lied." He brought his gaze from the ceiling back down to the gods, Zeus in particular. "I didn't find a secret way to Midgard. I came the way we all come."

Zeus suddenly stood up and gestured for the other gods to do so as well, even if only a handful followed his order.

Loki grinned at this, "I just came first."

Just at Zeus raised his bolt to attack, a blinding light filled in the throne room. Gods and demigods alike instinctively shielded their eyes. When the light faded, a sight no one expected lay before them.

Three people stood in a small circle around Percy along with Loki. The first was an older man standing to the left of Percy. He had a long grey beard and wore armor similar to what Percy was wearing. An eye patch covered one of his eyes and a spear was held in his hand though he didn't look particularly concerned that the Olympians seemed to be preparing for a fight.

A woman stood to the left of Percy. She had the most beautiful golden hair a woman could have. Her startling green eyes were narrowed in the direction of the Lord of the Skies and she too held a spear along with a shield in front of her athletic lithe body that was covered in full but light battle armor.

The final figure looked like he came straight out of a body building magazine. His blonde hair was long and his face handsome. He caught the eye of more than a few of the female Olympians, maidens included. He wore little armor, a small breast plate and vambraces on his wrists but the most intimidating thing about him was the look on his face.

It promised an unhealthy amount of pain and his eyes were locked on Zeus who looked slightly wary as he looked at the three new inhabitants of the throne room.

"Who dares enter my throne room uninvited?" Zeus bellowed but his voice held a hint of fear as he could guess who at least two of the figures were standing protectively around Percy.

The older man took a step forward, "I do," he spoke in a calm and even tone looking directly into the eyes of Zeus. "I am Odin, ruler of Asgard and All-Father to the Norse gods. And I am here to hear for myself why you have my grandson chained to the floor when his accomplishments call for you to shower him in gifts and gratitude?"

Zeus glanced at his fellow Olympians. What he saw was not what he was hoping for. Instead of backing him, most looked at him expectantly; they too wanted to explanation for Zeus' ridiculous actions since coming into the throne room.

"Choose your next words carefully, son of Kronos." The words came from the buff looking blonde guy who still stood in front of Percy glaring murderously at Zeus. Even if it hadn't been said, no one in the room doubted the identity of this man. This was Percy's father, the Norse God of Thunder himself, Thor.

The implied threat seemed to push the logical part of Zeus' mind to the back. He straightened up and held his bolt in hand ready to launch it. "You dare to threaten me when you come into my house without invitation? The boy has committed crimes against this council and he will answer for them and there is nothing that is going to stop it. You have no right to interfere!"

Instead of responding, Thor's right hand stretched out to his right. Immediately Mjolnir struggled against its restraints trying to answer the call of its original master. The thunder god flexed his hand and Mjolnir ripped itself free of the celestial restraints and flew like it was shot out of gun straight into the waiting god's hand.

"I beg to differ." Thor growled. "An attack against my son is an attack against all of the Norse gods. You will regret your words."

Zeus launched his bolt at Thor whose body glowed and he grew into a height similar to that of the Olympians. When the bolt was inches away, he swung Mjolnir, swatting the bolt aside and sending it careening into the wall of the throne room forcing dozen of demigods to dive for cover as the wall exploded behind them.

Thor moved with blinding speed. Before Zeus could summon his bolt back to him, Thor was in front of him. He kicked Zeus in the chest and sent him flying back into the feet of his throne.

Athena shot from her throne but froze as she felt the cold metal of a spear's point press against her throat.

"I would recommend against that." The woman, who Percy recognized as Lady Sif, said in a cold and commanding tone. Athena glanced at her fellow Olympians but none had risen to defend her, most likely because of the now godly sized versions of Loki and Odin who had weapons out, waiting for one of them to make a move.

Most people in the room had their eyes locked on Zeus and Thor. Zeus had regained his feet again, along with his bolt, as the two lightning gods went back and forth, Mjolnir against Master Bolt, in a duel that likely put the entire east coast of the US in a thunderstorm the likes never seen before.

Zeus could only defend himself as Thor was relentless. Mjolnir and Zeus' bolt locked together as the two immortal tried to overpower the other. When neither managed to gain the advantage, Thor kicked Zeus' legs out from under him. Zeus rolled away expecting a killing blow but instead, Thor just took a step back. He hurled Mjolnir straight at Zeus.

Expect it was about ten feet above where the Greek was lying on the floor. The mightiest weapon of Asgard flew straight into Zeus' throne and set off an explosion that sent the other Olympians scrambling for cover.

Thor held up his hand and caught his hammer before he pinned Zeus down with a foot to the chest. The Greek lord of the skies feebly struggled but the damage to his throne severely weakened him allowing Thor to gain control rather easily.

"Any last words, son of Kronos?"

Before Zeus could answer, the sounds of destruction behind Thor grabbed the attention of everyone in the room.

Percy Jackson was standing, the shackles still attached to his wrists but the chains hung from them freely. The marble floor when he had been chained was torn up from where he ripped his restraints out. His face was red and sweat dripped from his face.

"Enough of this!" He bellowed so loudly, the room fell into complete silence. All eyes, mortal and immortal, fell on him.

"That's impossible," Hephaestus said in shock. "I made those chains myself."

Percy ignored the forge god and looked at his father.

"Enough of this. I have had enough death for a lifetime. He is defeated father. There is no need for his death."

Thor looked at his son a little taken aback. "He was going to kill you…"

"A lot of people have tried to kill me. He is simply a name on the long list. If they all died, the world would run out of immortals. I have lost one of my best friends and killed my own cousin on this day. I will not see another name added to the list of unnecessary deaths."

Thor looked at Percy for a moment before turning back to Zeus who was still pinned under his foot. He leaned down so that his face was only inches from Zeus'.

"Be grateful Greek. This is the second time this day my son has saved your life. Do not be foolish enough to think he would do it a third time." Thor growled before removing his foot and taking a step back from the very weak and feeble looking King of Olympus.

Before anyone else could speak, Poseidon stood from his throne.

"In the absence of my brother's logical mind, I believe I will step in and restart the process of this reward ceremony." He shot Zeus, who had retreated to Hera's side, a look of disdain before turning back to the demigods and the Norse gods now present in the room. "This is a day of great victory for Olympus. A day of victory that has come at a heavy, heavy price. There will be no more violence on this day, you have my word on that."

Poseidon waved his hand and guest thrones rose up from the floor slightly in front of the Olympian thrones. He looked at Odin and gestured to the thrones, "Forgive my brother for his indecent behavior. We are honored to have you in our throne room on this day. Your son/grandson has done Olympus a great service and we welcome you to join us in thanking him and the other brave heroes who defended our home when we could not."

Odin gave the sea god a nod of appreciation before he gestured to the throne, allowing Lady Sif to sit first. He, Thor and Loki followed suit, taking seats in the newly created guest thrones and staring out at the Roman and Greek demigods who had watched the events of the past few minutes with bated breath.

"Now," Poseidon said looking around for approval from the other gods, all of whom gave him nods of consent. "We shall start with the Greek demigods who so valiantly defended Olympus and put aside their prejudices and joined with their Roman brethren to save us from this great threat."

Annabeth was the first Greek called up. Her mother offered her the duty of leading the rebuild of Olympus from the destruction caused by Hel on her march to the throne room. After her initial shock, the daughter of Athena gratefully accepted the job. Returning to her fellow Greeks mumbling about pencils and drafting paper, something no one questioned in fear of setting her off on a tangent about the basics of architecture.

Thalia was next. She greeted by a hug from her father which she awkwardly accepted, unsure of what to think of it and her father in general after what she had witnessed. She was offered one gift from her father that could ask for at any time. She accepted it and bowed to the gods, both Greek and Norse before returning to the side of her brother's shrouded body.

The gods' images suddenly shifted. Their features changing slightly, becoming more sharp and sterner before a burly looking man in Canadian Special Forces fatigues stood shakily from his partially repaired throne.

"Frank Zhang," he announced loudly to the room. Frank stepped forward nervously and bowed in front of his father, Mars.

"You have gone above and beyond your duty as a Roman soldier. You led your fellow Romans like a true Centurion and proven yourself to be one of the bravest demigods alive. I have no special weapon or gift to bestow on you my son but instead offer you relief from the greatest burden placed upon you since your birth."

Frank looked up at his father in shock. His hand instinctively went to the breast pocket of his jacket where he kept the piece of firewood that he had never told another soul about.

Mars nodded his head knowingly, "Give it to me, my son."

Frank felt a surge of panic and fear well up inside him. He didn't move for a moment, unsure if he even trusted his father with his greatest weakness. Reluctantly, he reached into his jacket and brought out the charred piece of firewood. He held it out before him in a trembling hand.

Mar shrunk down to mortal size and placed a hand on his son's forehead. Frank's body glowed with an ethereal red light for a moment before it dimmed. Frank's eyes went wide when the piece of firewood dissolved into dust in his hand.

"Be at peace Frank. Your life is now yours and only you control when and how it will end."

Frank looked up in shock, "Father?"

Mars gave him a stern look but nodded his head to assure him he meant his words. Frank slowly stood and started to walk back when the sound of someone clearing their throat froze him in his tracks.

He turned just in time to for a paper airplane to hit him directly in the eye causing him to yelp in surprise and pain.

"Bullseye," Loki chuckled. Frank looked at him fearfully before he grabbed the piece of paper nervously, holding it like it might explode at any second.

Loki rolled his eyes, "Just open it, you oaf."

Frank slowly took apart the paper flying contraption and found an address scribbled down on it.

"What?" He asked confused.

Loki shrugged his shoulder but a smirk tugged at his lips, "Just the address of a demigoddess I thought you might be interested in. She has yet to make her way to Camp Jupiter but I think you might be pleasantly surprised when you go retrieve her."

Frank looked confused before his face went a little white as he connected the dots, "But… That was a dream."

Loki's smirk grew, "Was it? Well yeah, actually it was. But I like to use real people when I create masterpieces like that. I suggest you go quickly when you get back to camp, daughters of Pluto tend to have quite the pleasant odor to hungry monsters."

Frank went wide eyed as he stared at the paper. "Go on," Loki urged. "I'm done with you now."

Frank turned a little red as he retreated back to the Romans clutching the piece of paper like he thought it might disappear any second.

"Reyna Avila Ramirez Arellano," a female voice called from behind the thrones of the Olympians.

Out of the shadow of the Olympian thrones stepped a beautiful woman dressed in full Roman battle armor. Her eyes were dark and she looked like an older version of Reyna, complete with dark hair and stern look that said, piss me off, it'll be the last thing you do.

Reyna's face went a little red when her full name was announced to the room. But when her eyes landed on the woman who spoke it, she stared in awe at her mother whom she had only seen a couple times in her life. She quickly made her way forward and bowed to the Olympians and Norse before kneeling at her mother's feet.

"You, my daughter, have proven yourself beyond what is asked for by the Legion. You have honored me, your fellow legionnaires and all those who came before you with you bravery, skill, determination and intelligence. You have presented yourself like a true Roman leader, overcome many hardships and have earned the right to take the offer I have for you."

Reyna looked up at her mother unsure of what she meant.

"The Legion is in need of a new Praetor. Usually this is chosen by your fellow Roman brethren but as the Roman Goddess of Battle and with the approval of Lord Mars, I offer you the vacant place as leader of the Twelfth Legion beside your fellow Praetor."

Reyna stared at her mother, unsure of how to respond to her offer. She glanced back at the rest of the Legion expecting to find anger and jealously. Instead, on the face of every member of the legion, including Praetor Cassie, she found only approval and happiness at this offer.

She turned back to her mother and bowed her head, "I would be honored to accept the responsibility of leading my fellow Romans, my lady."

Bellona smiled at her daughter. Reyna's body glowed until her outfit changed. Her broken and damaged armor repaired itself and a purple cape hung from her back. On her chest were a number of golden badges, signifying her new rank as Praetor.

Bellona stepped back toward the Olympians where another guest throne rose up from the marble. Neptune gestured to the seat which she accepted with a nod of gratitude towards the sea god.

Before Reyna could stand, another voice spoke.

"I also have a gift for your bravery and help in defeating Hel alongside your friends." Lady Sif said standing up. Reyna looked at her confused until the goddess snapped her fingers. Two dogs appeared out of nowhere shocking just about everyone in the room. But they weren't normal dogs. They were made of metal, one completely gold and the other silver, and they immediately made their way to Reyna's side.

"I have taken the liberty of naming these dogs for you. Aurum and Argentum."

"Gold and silver," Reyna said absentmindedly translating the Latin.

"Yes," Sif smiled. "But these are no normal dogs. They have the ability to detect any lies spoken in their presence. Anyone who tries to deceive you, will face their wrath before they must face yours. Given your new position of authority, they will serve you well as you lead the Romans into a new era of prosperity under your leadership."

Reyna glanced at the dogs for a second before stepped forward and bowing at the feet of the goddess.

"My lady, I am honored to accept your generous gift."

Sif smiled a smile that turned a little wry, "I can tell you from experience, it will be a nice insurance if your romantic interests remain the same." She said glancing at Percy who had been standing silently in the same spot with the chains still hanging from the shackles on his wrists.

Reyna turned as red as a tomato as much as she tried not to. She hurried back to her place, the dogs trotting obediently behind her, and not glancing at Percy in hopes he didn't catch the color of her flushed face.

"Percy Jackson!" Thor announced loudly as all whispering and noise vanished from the throne room.

Percy looked up his father, his mind still reeling a bit at everything that had happened that day and trying to accept the fact that his father was actually here in front of him in his giant godly height.

He slowly walked forward and bowed to his grandfather Odin first, and then the other gods before he went and knelt in front of his father's guest throne.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment as he waited for his father to speak. Despite waiting his entire life for this day to come, he still couldn't comprehend that it was finally here. All that he had waited his entire life for had finally come. And now that it was over, he found himself nervous about what he would do next. He had honestly expected to die in his battle with Hel and now that it was over and he was alive, he had no clue what he was supposed to do. He didn't belong with the Greeks nor the Romans.

"Perhaps," Odin spoke up before his son could. "It would be best if we handled this in front of our own council; with our people in Asgard where he will be celebrated like the hero he is instead of like a criminal."

A rush of excitement surged through Percy's body at the thought of going to Asgard with his father and grandfather; to see the place he had dreamed about since first being told of it as a toddler. But as soon as the excitement hit him, it was quickly followed by fear and perhaps, a bit of dread before one thought consumed his mind.

Was this a one way trip?

Then another thought crept into his mind.

Would he want that?

Before he could think anymore about it, Sif saved him from making a decision.

"Forgive me All-Father, but I believe this is exactly the right place for this to happen. This is where the boy performed the deeds with the help of his friends," she glanced at Reyna quickly and then at Percy before turning her attention back to the All-Father. "I think his rewards should be given in front of those he saved."

Odin seemed to ponder her words for a moment before nodding his head, "As intelligent and your are beautiful, my lady. It shall be as you say." He turned his attention to Percy who hadn't moved from his spot at the feet of his father. "Grandson. You have proven yourself to be the mightiest of warriors among our great people. Your deeds are worthy of the legendary tales that will be told about them for millennium to come. A hero as great as yourself is worthy of the highest honor we can bestow upon a mortal."

Percy glanced at his grandfather, a man he had only met one time in a dream vision, and stared at him, unsure of what he was getting at.

"Immortality, my boy. You will be honored above all others in Asgard as the savior of Midgard and all the realms for your actions in preventing Hel from unleashing Ragnarök and changing the natural flow of history." Thor continued where Odin had left off.

Percy went wide eyed for a moment as he took in his father's words, "You want to make me, immortal?"

"Not just an immortal, my grandson, but one of us. A god with a seat on our council as we watch over the nine realms and keep the peace and prosperity in our domains" Odin finished looking at Percy with a smile tugging at his lips.

Percy just stared at his grandfather in disbelief. He then looked at his father who was smiling down at him with pride shining in his eyes. Percy slowly stood up. He didn't speak. His mind was still reeling from what he had just heard. They wanted to make him a god. A god alongside his father and grandfather and Loki, and Lady Sif. He could live forever with his family but as he looked over at his father's wife, he froze.

A realization came into his mind and it was the last thing he ever expected. If he became a god and returned to Asgard with his family, then he would likely never see his friends again. He turned around and scanned the room, his eyes landing on the Greeks. He saw that Annabeth girl who he found slightly annoying but ended up having a lot more respect for her than he thought he would. Then he saw Thalia. Her eyes were still red from crying over the loss of her brother.

Jason, he thought miserably.

His friend had sacrificed himself so that Percy could be standing here right now. Jason was dead and they wanted to make Percy was god. As if he had done it himself. Without Jason, Frank and Reyna… Percy's mind stopped racing. He scanned the crowd and found Reyna staring at him next to Frank whose mouth was slightly agape at the thought of his best friend becoming a god. Reyna was just staring blankly at him. Her face was devoid of any emotion, good or bad. But in her beautiful dark eyes, Percy could see the fear in them; the fear that no one could refuse an offer like the one before him; a chance to be immortal, never dying and with his father and family for all eternity.

"No." Percy said not taking his eyes off Reyna whose hands covered her mouth to hold back her gasp and hide the look on her face.

A number of the Olympians and demigods couldn't hide their gasps.

Percy turned back to his father and looked at him confidently. "I am truly honored, father and grandfather. I don't feel deserving of such an honor but regardless, I cannot accept."

An eerie silence filled the room as Percy started to think he had made a big mistake. Thankfully, his stepmother broke it before he had to.

"And why is that?" Lady Sif asked arching an eyebrow as she looked at him.

Percy took a deep breath to calm his nerves and bowed on a knee again in front of his father. "For years, not a day went by where I didn't pray and wish for a chance to meet you father and the rest of my family. I wished for a day when I could come to Asgard and meet my father, the great god Thor. But I am not the same person I was when I made those prayers. That was when I was alone and only had my mothers in my life. Now that the chance to join my family has been given to me, I realize I already have one here on Midgard."

Thor looked down at his son with an expression that did not reveal his thoughts on the response.

"You wish to stay here, a mortal, and live an ordinary life amongst these people who were moments ago contemplating whether or not you should be allowed to live?"

Percy slowly stood up again and nodded his head, "I am a mortal father. And the life I live is anything but ordinary. But you cannot judge these people, the people who have been with me through it all, by one jerk. I've met and developed relationships with the other gods, they aren't like Zeus. They are good and honorable gods who do not need to treat mortals like insects to feel powerful. Without a number of them, I could never have made it here today."

Thor nodded his head allowing his son to continue.

"And my friends, they mean everything to me. It took me so long to find some, I don't want to lose them and I don't want to leave them. If another war comes, there is nowhere I'd rather be than standing by their sides no matter what enemy we face."

Thor listened to his son's words silently and without any kind of reaction. Odin spoke up drawing Percy's eyes from the piercing gaze of his father.

"The Bifröst was only repaired temporarily. Should you decide to stay, the link between our worlds may never be fixed again in your lifetime. If you make such a decision, you must be sure as there may not be a chance to ever change your mind."

Percy paused a moment as he thought about his words. This could be his one and only chance to be with his father. His one chance to go to a place where he belonged and would always be accepted. But before his mind even thought of them, his mouth spoke the words he was looking for.

"In the legends, it is said my father was the protector of Midgard. I could never do the things he did but if he cannot be here to protect it, then as his son, the duty falls to me. I will protect this realm with my very life if it is required. The bridge between the worlds may not exist but the world should never be devoid of our great history. I will carry the torch of all the great heroes that came before me and dedicate my life to trying to live up to the example they have set. As much as it pains me to think this could be our only interaction, it is not only my decision but my honor to remain with these people and continue the line of the Norse in Midgard."

As silence descended upon the throne room again, Percy suddenly became aware of how many people were listening to him as he spoke; demigods, both Greek and Roman, along with the entire Olympian council was watching him, listening to his words and watching for the reaction of his father and grandfather.

After a tense moment of silence, Thor's face cracked into a smile as he looked down upon his boy.

"Live up to the example of other heroes? My son, you have surpassed all those who came before you and raised the bar for every one that will ever follow. You belittle your accomplishments but your modesty does you a great service boy. You have out shined all others and yet still do not place yourself above them. As saddened as I am that you will not join us on Asgard, I could not be more proud of a son and the decision you have made."

Percy turned a little red at the praise of his father but tried to shake it off, "You're okay with this?"

Thor's smile grew and he nodded, "If you are going to take up my mantle, then it seems only fitting you have the same advantages I did."

Before Percy could ask what he meant, Thor held up Mjolnir which began to glow in his hand until it vanished. A glowing bracelet appeared on Percy's wrist that made his mouth fall open in shock.

"But father…"

"The weapon was made to protect this and the other realms. Peace reigns in others and you will need it if you want the same for Midgard."

Percy looked down at his wrist in disbelief. He felt a warm comfort knowing he would still have Mjolnir at his side. The weapon felt like an extension of his body and made him feel as if his father was with him, even though he wasn't.

"This is the last time I will see you, isn't it?" He asked after a moment, a feeling of dread consuming him as he realized it.

Somehow, Thor's smile managed to grow, "Perhaps for a while but this visit is only just beginning. You have been, uh, honored by the Olympians." He said a little awkwardly, still not happy with what he found when he came to the throne room. "But now it is time for you to be honored by your people."

Percy looked at him questioningly.

"I think we've got the power to keep the bridge operational for a few more hours. It's time for you to see where you really come from my son. It's time to see Asgard."

Percy stared uncomprehendingly at his father who chuckled at his reaction.

"Take out Mjolnir."

Percy held out his hand as the bracelet on his wrist glowed until it vanished and the mightiest weapon in the universe was in his hand.

"Heimdall!" Thor bellowed. "The savior of Midgard is ready to visit his home at last!"

A golden light descended out of nowhere, surrounding Percy in a blinding light. All the demigods in the room had to shield their eyes from the brilliance of the celestial bridge.

"Wait." Percy said loudly. The light around him dimmed but was still there; giving everyone in the room a look at the son of Thor standing at what was the linking bridge between the two realms.

Percy looked at his father, a silent question being asked. Thor smiled widely, "Very well, my boy. I think that is quite fitting."

Percy grinned and turned around where he found Reyna just staring at him. Everything that had happened; the Norse gods showing up to save Percy; Thor handing Jupiter his podex and then Percy being offered immortality and godhood only to turn in down in favor of staying mortal on Earth had left her at a complete loss for words.

Literally. Not even her brain was forming cognitive thoughts at the moment.

"Well?" Percy asked grinning. "Are you coming or what?"

Reyna opened her mouth but her voice suddenly vanished on her. Percy turned around and found the Roman goddess still sitting in the guest throne beside Lady Sif.

"If that's okay with you that is, Lady Bellona."

The Roman goddess studied Percy for a moment. Then her lips twitched into a thin smile, "She is quite capable of taking care of herself, which I believe you are well aware of."

Percy smiled and bowed his head to the goddess mother of his girlfriend before turning around again, "Well?"

Instead of saying anything, Reyna briskly walked to the middle of the throne room, not meeting the eyes of anyone, including her mother who she was a little nervous about being around still. She stepped into the golden light and Percy grabbed her hand and smirked, "Told you. A much better date than the one through Tartarus." He looked up at the sky again, "Okay, we're ready now!"

The golden light intensified until everyone other than the Norse turned away from it. When it faded and the light was gone, so were Reyna and Percy, off to Asgard to meet the home of Percy's father and where his people hailed from and the location of their next adventure of what would likely be many to come.

A.N: I may or may not add an epilogue to this story. If you want one, let me know. It may persuade me one way or the other. Thanks for reading and following this story, I hope you've enjoyed it as much I enjoyed writing it.


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